Snow and Ice Wreak Havoc in my Hometown
Whether it be a sports championship, a trip to the Moon, or a major holiday, the rarer the event, the more awe, excitement, and appreciation it creates. Weather involving frozen precipitation is an example of this. In metro Birmingham, Alabama where I am a native and lifelong resident, there is snow, sleet, and freezing rain, but it is rare enough that it causes excitement and anxiety. Excitement because it is a rare and sometimes pretty sight and provides recreational opportunities such as sledding. Anxiety because it can make driving harder and increase the risk of power outages. With all due respect to popular musician Paul Simon, I don’t want to live his song “Slip Slidin’ Away” when I am on the road. There is snow on average every two years in Birmingham and a snow scare at least once every year, but four major winter storms I survived stand out in my mind.
Ice Storm (January 1982) – This storm must have taken forecasters by surprise because I was at school when the snow began falling. The school dismissed us early. Unfortunately the teachers were able to assign a week’s work of homework. Although I remember it starting off as snow, it was a major ice storm. My brother woke us up with the wonderful news that our power was out. The ground was covered with ice, not snow. With snow we could have bult a snowman, but you can’t build an iceman. It wasn’t even safe to step outside. We had to sleep by the fireplace in the den at night. The fireplace fire was usually a luxury but now it was a necessity. This continued for days. Finally we made it to the downtown hotel that Friday after retrofitting the car for wintry weather. We enjoyed a cozy room and the next morning we had a warm breakfast. Also the roads had thawed just enough for us to go home. Guess what? The power was back on.
Blizzard (March 1993) – The biggest of storms came complete with blizzard or near-blizzard conditions such as high winds, thunder snow, and fourteen inches of show. My brother and I had recently graduated from college but were living with our parents who happened to be in Great Britain. My brother offered to take me to a friend’s house to avoid the inevitable power failure. I foolishly stayed behind because I wanted to wash clothes. By the next morning the power was out, the snow had rendered the roads impassable, and the house was cold. I tried to start a fireplace fire and turned a knob that caused a hissing noise. It was the gas. If I had struck a match, there would have been a mushroom cloud in my neighborhood. I was forced to stay with a neighbor. The next day, I was hanging out at our house when my brother showed up and rescued me and took me to the friend’s house. We stayed there overnight. The next day, it was easier to get around on the roads, but the electricity did not come back on for almost a week after the storm hit.
Ice Storm (February 1996) – I had my own apartment, but I sat this one out with my mother at her condo. The storm could have been much worse but extreme cold caused it to last longer. No matter. My mother watched movies with a man who later became my stepfather. His VHS collection was huge. I did get outside occasionally to “stretch my legs.”
Flash Snow (January 2014) – Called “Snowcopalypse” and “Snowmageddon” by the local media, this event turned the road system into a disaster scene. Snow that was forecast but they didn’t account for a sharp drop in temperature at the same time. I was dismissed early from work, but it took over four hours to make what was usually a ten to fifteen minute commute. In fact I was moving so slowly, I was safely able to work on wedding plans (I was engaged). People were walking around like zombies on the highway I was on. I was forced to abandon the car before I got home and walk the rest of the way (good thing it wasn’t far). The good news is that I got home safe, my car was undamaged, and I had food, heat, and electricity at the house. Others were not so lucky. I heard stories about friends and family having to sleep at the office.
If you are reading this blog the day it was published, that means winter isn’t over. Stay warm and safe.