Snowmageddon
January 2015 nor'easter - Blizzard of 2015 - Snowmageddon 2015
The following events took place January 25-27, 2015 ....
Sunday January 25 ... Millions of people braced for what was to be an historic storm, memories of Hurricane Sandy (October 2013), still lingering in their minds. What's interesting is the winter that followed Sandy was far worse than anything this season, yet we know the climate is changing and natural disasters are on the increase. Two weeks ago eastern Connecticut had 12 small earthquakes in 10 days which is most unusual for that area. And so we are trained to pay attention and prepare.
My friend Anna, who lives in the next building, stopped by. We talked about the impending storm. I told her I didn't see her going to work on Tuesday. Anna insisted that she was going because she takes the subway and it's underground. Still and all, I "saw" her and millions of other people home. What I didn't see was that transportation would be shut down - subways, busses, streets and roads - and silly me forgot to factor in Mercury Retrograde - problems with transportation.
And so it came to pass. Monday night and Tuesday morning New York City looked like something out of a sci-fi movie - quiet and desolate for everyone was told to stay off the streets. Between natural disasters and terrorism few people braved the storm unless to walk a dog or emergency workers.
Times Square Earth Cam Monday night - Broadway and Times Square is deserted
Tuesday January 27, 2015
I woke up earlier than usual to the sounds of a sanitation snowplow scrapping across the street below. From the sound of it, the snow wasn't that deep. I raced to the window, pulled back the shade and peeked out. Much to my surprise the snow was not deep as I looked at the cars across the street.
I turned on the TV and listened to my favorite weatherman describing the blizzard, how the worst had missed the city, and warning people to stay home. Forty miles to the east and beyond - Long Island and most of New England - had two feet of snow or more - the storm continuing into Tuesday evening while stopping here in the city by afternoon.
I watched brave news reporters - stationed in different areas in and around New York City - reporting on snow conditions. Throughout the day they would broadcast their experiences - most memorable a reporter in Long Island who had a woman bring him hot offer and pancakes for breakfast, a baby who decided to be born during the storm, and other stories of kindness.
One could easily see our programming to rescue and help others - the mantra for humanity. As with Hurricane Sandy in October 2013 - the memories linger and the need to brace for impact instilled in our souls. It's the moment when there will be no last minute prep-time that we need to be ready for.
Was the shutting down of the city - an obvious inconvenience for millions of people - a good or bad thing? As always in duality, it was both depending on who you ask. Most people I know we're happy to have a day off - to be home, to sleep, to catch up on things at home, to spend the day with their families, a day away from stress, some using computers to stay in touch and keep up with work from home, and many other positives.
Did those who "work the weather grids" effect the final outcome of the storm in and around the city? You know they did - pushing the storm out to sea away from the city.
In places used to bad winters, people are ready - having back-up generators, supplies, snow blowers or snowplows, and alternate ways to heat their homes. Here's the thing about snow in the city ... there is absolutely "no place" to put the snow and that's our downfall, so if we can avert (divert) a disaster, we get lucky. It can take days if not longer - depending on the weather after a storm - to get rid of the snow, whereas in other areas they know how to deal with it. Then there's the ice and black ice ... and in January little chance of warming up and the snow melting or rain washing it away.
At the end of the day in the city - where people like to complain about anything - and pontificate about what went wrong - they blamed the weatherman, city officials, and everybody else involved in the shutdown of the city. Personally I think they did the right thing with the exception of the underground subways (some are above ground). It's better to be safe than sorry, to make clean-up faster, even if people complain after the fact. It was a bad storm with high gusty winds, freezing temperatures, and no one should have been outdoors unless necessary.
And now today for Part 3 of Snowmageddon - The cleanup and aftermath as life resumes and on we go to the next major event Super Bowl XLIX where the Patriots escaped Snowmageddon but still deal with the investigation of Delfate-gate.
