Atlanta Snow Jam Proves Citizens can Accomplish What Big Government Can't

Townhall.com ^ | January 30, 2014 | Matt Towery

[Elsie]

Mine is 2/3’s that size.

I pull the main breaker to the street; plug my generator into the welder outlet in the barn, and let ‘er rip!

I can run everything but my electric range and oven.

Furnace and water heater are propane.

[Elsie]

I am so proud of them.

I am, too!

[Elsie]

Or just deal with a 50 year storm every 50 years.

[Elsie]

As a flatland Hoosier, I was driving thru Casper, Wy a few years ago, when their first storm of the winter hit.

I was appalled at just how bad THOSE drivers were!

It was only about 2" of wet snow; but vehiclews were all over the place!

[don-o]

Looking at that picture, I wish government would order the big trucks off the roads in bad weather. Then I remember that this would end badly, probably with a toilet paper shortage east of the Mississippi.

The reality is there is no place for them all to park at once. They gotta keep rolling.

[Elsie]

Probably 60% of our population is from somewhere else in the last 3-4 years or so, so they do NOT remember the last time.

Native born Hoosiers can't remember between storms when they are a MONTH apart! ;^)

[snowtigger]

I bet you don’t have a fire extinguisher either, or fire insurance. After all, you almost never have a fire...

[wyowolf]

well obviously it would be more difficult without that. But I managed all my life without the x5 until a couple years ago. most people get on ice and immediately slam on the brakes , especially on hills, that just kills any momentum you have...

[FreedomPoster]

Great summary. I’m pinging the GA list to it in case anyone needs to explain what happened here to others

[FreedomPoster]

On that note, see my comment here:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/3117633/posts?page=127#127

[Elsie]

I wonder what snow/ice insurance would cost for Atlanta...

[Lazamataz]

I grew up in upstate New York. I literally drove one time through about 8-12 inches of uncleared snow for 5 to 6 miles, my tires propelling me like a propeller of a boat. I *KNOW* how to drive in winter weather.

That said, Atlanta is a different animal. Snow hits, melts, and immediately becomes black ice. Everywhere. Right away.

Without salt or sand treatment — which Atlanta has precious little application ability — these roads are impassible. In fact, I’m leery of WALKING on them.

[saleman]

“That said, Atlanta is a different animal. Snow hits, melts, and immediately becomes black ice. Everywhere. Right away.

Without salt or sand treatment — which Atlanta has precious little application ability — these roads are impassible. In fact, I’m leery of WALKING on them.”

I can’t speak for Atlanta, but it was much the same here (B’ham area). Got up Wed morning and went out in my 4x4 to check things out. Weird. Virtually no snow on the roads. Just a thick(over 1 inch) layer of snow on the roads. It was safer to drive than try to walk or even stand on it.

I’m kinda sick and tired of these Yankee’s Holier than Thou attitudes about Southern drivers not knowing how to drive “in bad weather”. Most of the bottlenecks were caused by 18 wheelers jack knifed trying to get up hills. They are professionals and drive in all kinds of weather.

Snow actually provides pretty good traction. Ice, not so much

[don-o]

We visited family in Erie PA in January 1990, at that time the snowiest month in their history. I was amazed to see that the snow packed down like brown sugar. You could still get traction on it.

Around seven years previously, I was stopped on a bridge somewhere in metro Atlanta that was covered with ice from freezing rain. Cars that had come to a complete stop then began to slide. THAT is some slick.

[saleman]

Whoops. “Over 1 inch layer of ice on the road”

[higgmeister]

You said that so well! I’m proud to know you!

[AnAmericanMother]

Good point. Ice is a whole different animal from snow.

When I got out of my truck, I could barely walk on the ice (I got some snow studs for my boots now!). Truck was doing o.k. bec. it's large and heavy, with 4WD, limited slip, and the Michelin modified off-road tires. I think it was heavy enough for the tire tread to get down to asphalt.

[AnAmericanMother]

Thank you! < bows >

I still remember SnowJam '82 and the Blizzard of '93 - both of those were memorable, SnowJam particularly so because it hit at 3:00 p.m. and we had the same scene of hundreds of abandoned cars on the freeways. In January 2011 (I think it was) we had ice on the ground for almost a week, but iirc it did not hit in prime time, so to speak.

1973 was also very exciting. There were many trees down from the ice, and my husband-to-be had snow tires on his car (from living in Western VA) and brought provisions to my parents who could not get out of their street.

[snowtigger]

Never heard of snow insurance, but it should be cheap in Atlanta. My point is; it doesn’t cost a lot to be prepared. There are a lot of uses for a generator besides an Ice storm. Mine provides power at my remote cabin,among other things.

[higgmeister]

I don't remember 1973 but my family was just moving back from Waynesboro, Virginia then.

I was just a kid, but I remember the Ice Storm in 1960 in rural Rome. The pine trees were so covered with ice they went off like howitzers in the woods behind our house. We had no power or phone for at least a week. We had heat and cooking with wood, coal and propane. Dad hiked about five miles to the little rock store to get tobacco so he could roll his own cigarettes. From time to time he would crank up the car to listen to the news on WRGA radio.