States like Georgia have no storage sheds full of millions of tons of salt/sand mix, nor the thousands of storage sheds to keep it or the many thousands of spreaders needed to spread it. And if the state were to invest the many millions of dollars needed to gear up for once-in-a-lifetime events like this, I’d guess the taxpayers would be in up in arms.
IMHO it’s unrealistic to be looking for someone to blame. The fact is that sometimes nature does things to us despite our best laid plans. Hopefully the state officials will come up with a plan should it happen again, but by the time it does they’ll probably all be retired or worse.
I’ve been impressed by the way the schools and even many stores came through and provided accomodations for people for the night. Big box hardware stores, and even grocery stores, let people sleep in their facilities. That’s impressive, and it’s a testament to the people of Georgia. .
I don’t know about once in a lifetime event. It just happened back in 2011 or 2012 and that was a four day shut down. Northern states find the money to stockpile salt and sand so it really isn’t that big of a deal. And if you don’t use it, it’ll be there next year. Its just part of government responsibiity to prepare for emergency response and respond effectively in coordination with other agencies.
I don’t expect they should have hundreds of salt trucks sitting just in case, but you can use dump trucks for other purposes. Illinois seems to have the spreader/hopper units just ready to go and drive the truck under and away they go. We have plans for tornado and flood recovery even though it is an unlikely event, but everyone trains for those situations for when it does happen.
The East Coast have blizzards with road icing every year, they just rarely go as low as low geographically as Georgia. Yeah, there was a big one in 92 or 93, but the real biggie was the Great Blizzard of '77. I’ll remember that one as long as I live. I stayed home that day. And in '77 I was hourly and it tool a lot for me to call in.
@nw2012: "I can’t believe there are people arguing AGAINST the use of tire chains. And the whole thing about staying home when the weather is bad - glad that works for some of you - but for the rest of us, we have no choice.
“Before I’m told again that 4WD/AWD/tire chains are only needed for people that can’t drive, I’d like to see some of you guys come to TN/GA/AL right now with the type of car and tires most people here drive (which I may add are perfectly acceptable every other winter) and see how far you get.”
How often do AL, GA, and TN get the conditions that they have right now? I’m sorry, but I’m not going to carry tire chains for an event that is due to happen every 10 years. I live in Florida, and if there is snow in the forecast, I’m going to stay home. Southern states aren’t prepared to handle this kind of weather. I also stay home when hurricanes come. It’s just common sense.
In upstate NY in the Lake Effect snow area…you’re constantly driving in snow long before the roads are salted/sanded. It’s IMPOSSIBLE to predict where or when the snow will happen. Sometimes these lake effect squalls are only 10 miles wide and dump a foot of snow. Several times a year the town I lived - the Southern part of the town will get a 10+ inch storm…but the northern part of town is nice and sunny and dry (that’s where the DPW is)…or visa-verse. So you better learn how to drive in snow…At least here in New Hampshire - the snow is much more predictable…and usually the whole region is getting snow at the same time…not just one 10 mile stretch.
"I seem to remember some kind of Blizzard on the east coast in 1992 or 1993, perhaps"
I vividly recall the winter of 1996-97 as being the worst for total snow accumulation in the NYC/NJ Metro area. We just kept getting hammered with one huge snow storm after another, and our schools were closed–on and off–for a total of about 2 weeks during the months of December, January, and (I think) February.
We had to cancel statewide testing at least 3 times, and everything was a chaotic mess, with not knowing from one day to the next when we would be able to carry out the state testing program–which mandated 3 consecutive days of testing.
Also, that was the year when my house was being built. Construction began in October, but they lost so much time due to several blizzards that closing was delayed until mid-August!
Oh for heavens sake. Sometimes the slick road did cause the wreck sometimes it didn’t. Sometimes you need chains sometimes you don’t. You are all, right. Just agree to disgree and please let this thread to finally die a peaceful comfortable death!!
On another board I stated that same thing, that most of the problems of people were having was from driving too fast. You could have melted all the ice and snow with the flames I got from other people, generally they went like this: You don’t know what your talking about, nobody can drive on ice. Nobody can drive up a steep hill on ice. It wasn’t the speed it was the government’s fault for not salting sanding the roads. Etc.
I point out that if a driver doesn’t have the skill set to drive on ice, snow, or whatever then they shouldn’t be on the road when those thing are happening. I know my skill set, there are times when I won’t drive and unless someone is dying and I’m the only person who can save them, since that odds of that are extremely small I’ll just sit in a motel or at home drinking a cup of coffee, better that then sitting in a car hoping to be rescued.
“Before I’m told again that 4WD/AWD/tire chains are only needed for people that can’t drive, I’d like to see some of you guys come to TN/GA/AL right now with the type of car and tires most people here drive (which I may add are perfectly acceptable every other winter) and see how far you get.”
OK, I finished a 30 mile drive on ice, in a smart car with all seasons tires. When I left town the road were great, driving back home the road were great until the last 30 miles where they had freezing rain. I slowed down a LOT, took well over an hour and a half to drive 30 miles. Yes up hill down hill, passed 3 semi’s in the ditch, and one other car in the ditch with many troopers helping them. Most problems are caused by people not driving to the conditions of the road or driving beyond their skill set.
I point out that if a driver doesn't have the skill set to drive on ice, snow, or whatever then they shouldn't be on the road when those thing are happening. I know my skill set, there are times when I won't drive and unless someone is dying and I'm the only person who can save them, since that odds of that are extremely small I'll just sit in a motel or at home drinking a cup of coffee, better that then sitting in a car hoping to be rescued.
So your saying going shopping at the mall is not a valid reason to risk others lives and your own?
More people need to have your attitude, It always amazes me how many people go out in the worst of weather for the stupidest things.
OK, I finished a 30 mile drive on ice, in a smart car with all seasons tires. When I left town the road were great, driving back home the road were great until the last 30 miles where they had freezing rain. I slowed down a LOT, took well over an hour and a half to drive 30 miles. Yes up hill down hill, passed 3 semi's in the ditch, and one other car in the ditch with many troopers helping them. Most problems are caused by people not driving to the conditions of the road or driving beyond their skill set.
BTW a Smart Car is RWD.
Most people will not slow down as much as you did, around here the slowest most people will drive in bad weather is the speed limit or slightly below the speed limit. Yesterday I was on a state highway making a 45 mile trip, there was extremely heavy rain and many spots in the road that caused hydroplaning, I was going 55 mph which was the speed limit sometimes increasing my speed to 60mph depending on how heavy it was raining, and I had two people that tailgated me and ended up passing me one of which almost caused a head on crash with another car, I slowed down to about 40 when that person started to pass me and still they could barely get by me quick enough to avoid having a head on with the car in the oncoming lane.
It has taken me two hours to drive 30 miles before in very inclement weather, Its just a matter of slowing down and paying attention, having equipment in proper order and some driving skill.
I consider myself to have average driving skills, Nothing more nothing less, I seem to be able to drive in the snow without going off the road, every time we get any snow around here you will always see cars, trucks and suv’s in the ditch.
I live in ND, been driving for 40 years, and drove professional for a while. I have just under a million miles under my belt. I’ve lived in ND for last 20 years, lived in Washington state for 8, lived in Kansas for 6 and before that was in ND where I learned to drive. So I have LOTS of winter storm experience, as well as ice storms.
@Rwee2000
Everyone has an experience that proves their point. Unfortunately, only those who relate it were really there. If there are extreme glare ice conditions and hills involved, no rwd or fwd car without studded tires Or chains can negotiate them with any decent hills involved. Notice, I imply both. If one drives in ice conditions successfully without them, it can only happen with ice pellets and not freezing rain or fog with glare ice with any hills. Accumulated ice pellets can have greater traction then snow. So I don’t doubt that any experienced driver in just about any car can do it.
But;
these distinctions are seldom made when people brag about driving in snow or ice. Wet snow and wet glare ice are near possible for any 2 wd vehicle to drive up and down any thing but near flat terrain and no vehicle without traction aids of some kind can stop under control or turn well in either
@BLE
The mentioning that awd can actually cause people to drive poorly in bad weather is like blaming any good handling car for causing an accident because people may drive them too fast. These cars are the safest thing you can drive when coupled with the right tires for the conditions and blaming the car makes no sense to me at all.
They are absolute life savers when used correctly. If used incorrectly, you can have problems just like you can with a lawn mower or any machinery.
In my case it was freezing rain and glare ice, yes there were hills and curves, they put up a no travel advised notice shortly after I passed the notice board. And notice I said I slow down, I slowed down a lot. True there are hills that I won’t take on even with a light snow even in my 4x4, so I’m not saying all hills can driven up, but again I’ve seen drivers fail to climb a hill while others in similar vehicles climb them, the big difference was those who didn’t make it use the theory when in doubt FLOOR IT, while the other drivers let up a little when they felt the wheels spinning.
When I was learning to drive way back when, before traction control, before AWD, the man I learned from said take it slow going up to speed, drive slowly, take your time stopping. The other then he told me was to drive like the other driver’s were out to kill you. Trust me, and search youtube, and you’ll see most of the problems were from drivings driving too fast. Both of which have held me in good stead.
Talked to a friend from Illinois yesterday that was driving to Alabama during that storm. Noticed the cars stopping way ahead and did an illegal U turn in time. Got back to their hotel to sit for a day instead of sitting in the car while the weather cleared. Sometimes its just by luck you avoid these things. Start going down the ramp and see the problems and what do you do? There you sit. Noticed the patrol ticketing people that tried to back out of the ramp too. I guess you always want to have a sandwich along and have gone to the bathroom.
I do remember one time back in 81, I had my Olds RWD with posi, pulling the trailer enroute to Disney. Going through Wisconsin hit bad weather and one long hill was very bad. With posi I was able to get one wheel over on the shoulder where there was a little more traction. Don’t think I would have made it without posi traction though and can’t imagine trying to back down the hill at night on ice with a trailer. There but by the grace of God go I.
Rwee2000, having lived in North Dakota I can tell you that the driving there is very different from the driving I encounter here in NH. The flatness and straightness of the roads combined with the very long range of visibility is entirely different from NH, where the roads are all hills, curves, potholes and repairs. I recall the roads in Grand Forks being covered with solid ice, but being straight and level it was simply a matter of going slow, staying straight, and planning ahead. In NH, things happen instantly. When I returned to NH from ND I had to learn to drive all over again.
Washington state and Kansas are also entirely different driving environments that Northeast. One cannot make judgements about another’s driving environment or draw conclusions about the drivers without having lived there.