The first major snowstorm of the year struck Rhode Island this weekend and the state was predictably paralyzed. Shoppers cleaned shelves of milk and bread. Drivers pumped gas tanks dry. Schools, organizations and some businesses canceled business a day before the storm. Part of the panic is primal - anxiety in the collective psyche of all Rhode Islanders who survived the Blizzard of ‘78. But it’s also rooted in reality. Despite the advance warning, the plows waited until the snow came tumbling down to begin sanding, salting and pre-treating the white stuff, exacerbating the slippery conditions.
You’d think a state that began its life as a glacier could deal with a little snow. Last year the executive director of the State Emergency Agency and the Providence Director of Emergency Management were both fired for their roles in a chaotic first snowstorm that left some schoolchildren stranded on buses until just before midnight.
Leading to this week's question: What is your favorite or wildest snowstorm memory?
Monday, December 22, 2008
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