[AT] Blizzard of '78

[DBigdog]

Gene,
    I remember it well.  For some reason our power was only off about 2 
hours.  I suppose having a neighbor who works for the power company didn't 
hurt.
    I was very active in Fire and EMS at the time and being close to the 
station I ended up walking there as we had many calls to rescue stranded 
motorists.
    The mild weather of the previous day was a stark contrast and in the 
evening it was raining.  The front moved through so quickly that water 
running across the roadways froze instantly causing ice dams across the 
road.  Add to that the snow and wind and it was clear that no one should be 
on the roads.  White-outs were frequent.  I was out with the fire chief in 
the department's 4WD grass truck (he was driving).  We were trying to locate 
a stranded motorist we had recieved a call on when the tones dropped for a 
house fire.  The chief turned around and headed for the station driving way 
too fast for the conditions.  He drove into one of the white-outs and about 
that time we hit one of the ice dams across the road and ended up in the 
ditch with two wheels (diagonally opposite) suspended in mid air.
    We spent the next 4 1/2 hours in the truck waiting for a wrecker large 
enough to get us out of the ditch.  We finally got towed out and made it 
back to the station.  The station became a community center and gathering 
place for those without power.  It was several days before things got back 
to normal.


----- Original Message ----- 
From: Gene Dotson
To: ATIS
Sent: Wednesday, January 26, 2011 11:00 PM
Subject: [AT] Blizzard of '78


    Just wonder how many of you remember the Great Blizzard of "78 during
this week in 1978? 40 inches of snow, 100 MPH winds and temperature of -17
degrees. Wind chill was
-80 degrees.  Barometer reading of 28.28 in. At the time the lowest ever
recorded in the USA. 51 people died. Snow drifts 18 to 20 feet. Took more
than a week to dig out. Snowmobiles and National Guard snow tractors were
only vehicles moving. End loaders and bulldozers were used to clear the
roads.

    To make it tractor related, the township commandeered me with my Case
700 and a back blade they had to help clear some of the streets in the
village of Broadway where I lived at the time. Pushed snow for 3 days.
Fortunately I had a heat houser on the tractor, but was still cold.

    The program on Bowling Green PBS station last week and again tonight
brought back all the memories. It was a rough time for everybody, but sure
brought the community together. Local restaurand and bar fired up their wood
stove and had a perpetual soup pot on the whole time for anyone who needed a
meal. Everyone brought what they had to put in the pot.

Gene

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