Checking in from Southern RI (yes we may be only 30 miles wide but we have southern and northern parts, darnit.)
I think I got the least of the storm here. I know I have over a foot of snow. Friends and family in CT and MA are reporting over 3 feet of snow. Widespread power outages too. I imagine we won't hear from some people for a while.
Rhode Island has this weird snow belt where half the state gets something completely different than the other half of the state. Friends a mere 25 miles away from me have twice the snow that I do. I lucked out this time. (Don't worry, I won't press my luck in future disasters.)
Right now I can't open my back door to look outside because the snow drifts have blown a mound in front of the door. I do see many tree limbs down from the wind and the weight of the wet snow. And I can see tree branches falling into my pool. That should be interesting to clean up.
People criticized the governors of CT, MA and RI for their driving bans on the major highways, especially when these bans included big fines and possible jail time for people out on the roads without legitimate reasons. But the message was really to get businesses to let people work at home or go home early before the brunt of the storm hit.
It's sad that they had to go to such extremes to express what should be common sense- stay at home and wait the storm out. Some states declared states of emergency, some didn't. The difference is that for a lot of people, their jobs won't let them go early or not come in unless an emergency is declared. Meanwhile in part of NY, especially in Long Island, the news is reporting that plows can't get through because people had to abandon their cars on the highway. Maine had a 19 car pileup on I-295.
The other wild thing was the thundersnow... lots of big, bright green blasts of lightening.
The concern tonight is more hurricane force winds, possibly taking down more trees, and thus power lines with them. In the past two years we've had so many bad storms take down trees and tree limbs.
I'd still take a blizzard over a tornado anyway.
|