My poor sister has been trying to get home for 2 hours.

[Lolly]

Was it worse than the forecast? Why didn't anyone stay home.

 

My sister is up north, the school where she teaches was closed yesterday.

 

 

 

In addition to it not being in the forecast for the Bham area, it was in the forecast for areas to the south where they do not have any snow related resources. Since they were supposed to being hit and Bham not, the Bham area sent all of their stuff south to be used there. Then, it hit them hard and fast. Everyone released from school and work at the same time. Not only were the roads icy, they couldn't handle the traffic load. Plus, the roads in the south are sloped to allow water run-off. Then, when you get ice, the cars slide down that slope. Stuck in traffic for so many hours=cars that aren't sliding off the road run out of gas. Just a nightmare.

[momofkhm]

I called my brother in Atlanta this morning.  10 hours to go what is usually 90 minutes.  He only made it 1/2 way.  Parked his truck, walked 3 miles to his boss's house.  3 miles back to the truck this morning to find it boxed in.  Now for the 16 mile walk home.  Amazing.

 

 

[Cinder]

I hope everyone made/makes it home safely! We were fortunate that college closed before ds1 had to leave the house and dh didn't have to go to work yesterday. So we were all at home. Dh does have to go in today though. He had the forethought to park his car up the street a bit; we're on a hill. Lots of steep driveways so everyone's parked in the street.

[jenn-]

The weather hit earlier than it was expected to.  All of the public schools decided early in the morning to switch from early dismissal to just closing, but some of the private schools decided to stick with early dismissal of 11.  Then they closed at 10 but that was too late as the ice started sticking on bridges by 830/9.  We are in the area that was expecting the ice and snow and I think we didn't have nearly the insane traffic issues of Birmingham and Atlanta because most parents were stuck with kids at home.  There were major interstate interchanges closed completely due to 18 wheeler accidents and a couple people died in ice related accidents first thing in the morning.  Luckily DH was able to get home from work with just a little slow down as people crossed the one bridge between his work and here.

[Lilaclady]

 

 

I have NEVER been so thankful to homeschool and have dh working from home.

My homeschool friends had a field trip at Tellus, they left at 12:30 and one just got home after 16 hours on the road. One had to spend the night in the grocery store so it was just bad all around.

We had a class that ended at 2. One of the ladies took 4 hrs to get home on a trip that usually take 15mins.

[zimom]

It took my friend 15.5 hours to get home, including walking the last 2 miles. She finally walked in her door at 5 this morning. The Today Show/Al Roker ripped Atlanta's mayor and GA's governor for allowing this to happen. They said they easily could have pretreated roads, been prepared, but choose for whatever reason not to.

 

I need to drive from south of Atlanta to Virginia in the morning. Hoping the roads will be passable by then. My car WILL have plenty of food, blankets and supplies.

[Mandylubug]

I think it is so silly to point blame in this situation. We are southern. We have no snow tires or chains, the city of Atlanta had a whopping 40 employees to treat the roads, weather forecasting was showing the snow to barely graze us and we are barely considered metro area. It was bigger than anticipated, Atlanta's citizens treated it like any other southern snow freak out because quite frankly it is never as bad as they say it will be. This time it was worse than anticipated.

 

It is everyone's fault for the issues. So many employers expected workers to come in, schools stayed in session, people laughed at the seriousness of it all.

[FriedClams]

I think it is so silly to point blame in this situation. We are southern. We have no snow tires or chains, the city of Atlanta had a whopping 40 employees to treat the roads, weather forecasting was showing the snow to barely graze us and we are barely considered metro area. It was bigger than anticipated, Atlanta's citizens treated it like any other southern snow freak out because quite frankly it is never as bad as they say it will be. This time it was worse than anticipated.

 

It is everyone's fault for the issues. So many employers expected workers to come in, schools stayed in session, people laughed at the seriousness of it all.

Excellent points. I'm all for review and fix it for next time but blame is worthless.

 

I do find it ironic the Weather Channel is based in Atlanta. ;-)

[Mandylubug]

Excellent points. I'm all for review and fix it for next time but blame is worthless.

 

I do find it ironic the Weather Channel is based in Atlanta. ;-)

DH says he needs to make a meme with Atlanta Mayor stating it isnt his fault dish or direct tv whoever it was dropped the weather channel! Lol

[Trish]

How awful!

 

I guess next time people will be more prepared, or at least more inclined to stay home.

[Mandylubug]

How awful!

 

I guess next time people will be more prepared, or at least more inclined to stay home.

Pshhh next time will be 4 to 5 years and everyone will forget haha

[trulycrabby]

I lived in Atlanta 20 years, and this isn't the first time they have had gridlock with winter weather. During the ice storm in 1982, my father left his car on the road, and slept on the floor of a hotel lobby with about 40 other people. The south just doesn't have snow removal equipment like northern cities.

[Tammyla]

I was sad to hear so many people are still stuck this morning.  :grouphug:

[Lolly]

How awful!

 

I guess next time people will be more prepared, or at least more inclined to stay home.

 

 

Nah. It just doesn't happen often enough. Most of the time, people WAY over prepare. If snow is hinted at, the grocery stores are bare, schools are closed, and any possible preparation is done. Then, nothing happens. You can't prepare when you have no idea it is coming. That is what happened this time.

[Cinder]

Well, dh didn't make it to work yet. He left 2 hours ago and got about halfway there before having to turn back because of road closures. Bleah.

 

Schools are already cancelled for tomorrow.

[Cinder]

 If snow is hinted at, the grocery stores are bare, schools are closed, and any possible preparation is done.

 

I heard Publix had a run on sweet tea. :laugh:

[Mandylubug]

Well, dh didn't make it to work yet. He left 2 hours ago and got about halfway there before having to turn back because of road closures. Bleah.

 

Schools are already cancelled for tomorrow.

Northside or southside? DH is trying to decide if he'll answer the call for overtime at 5am tomorrow lol

[Cinder]

Northside or southside? DH is trying to decide if he'll answer the call for overtime at 5am tomorrow lol

 

We're NW of the city and he's going in to the airport. If you look at WSB's traffic map you'll see that he has to navigate the worst road conditions in the area.

[Mandylubug]

We're NW of the city and he's going in to the airport. If you look at WSB's traffic map you'll see that he has to navigate the worst road conditions in the area.

DH will be going to airport tomorrow too haha but we are southwest in Coweta county. He went riding to see how the highway was near our home. His thoughts are if he can get to main highways he'll be good to go in morning hopefully

[Cinder]

Hopefully there will be enough sunshine to get the main roads clear. Right now a couple pickup trucks are struggling to make it up our street.

[MyThreeSons]

Nah. It just doesn't happen often enough. Most of the time, people WAY over prepare. If snow is hinted at, the grocery stores are bare, schools are closed, and any possible preparation is done. Then, nothing happens. You can't prepare when you have no idea it is coming. That is what happened this time.

 

I still don't get how anyone can say you had no idea it was coming. I'm in SC; we heard the forecasts on Monday afternoon before we left our Co-op. We are north and east of Atlanta, and knew that we could get hit. 

 

The Weather Channel this morning showed the Winter Storm Watch and Winter Storm Warning posts for the metro Atlanta area, many hours before it hit, in time for closings to happen, etc. 

[Slartibartfast]

I think it is so silly to point blame in this situation. We are southern. We have no snow tires or chains, the city of Atlanta had a whopping 40 employees to treat the roads, weather forecasting was showing the snow to barely graze us and we are barely considered metro area. It was bigger than anticipated, Atlanta's citizens treated it like any other southern snow freak out because quite frankly it is never as bad as they say it will be. This time it was worse than anticipated.

 

It is everyone's fault for the issues. So many employers expected workers to come in, schools stayed in session, people laughed at the seriousness of it all.

 

 

Atlanta can be a hot mess to drive through on a good day, I can only imagine the nightmare this storm has caused.

 

I am also in SC less than two hours away from Atlanta,  we knew very well what was coming, and my city is MUCH smaller. I don't think I can describe the intensity of the, "OMG!!11 Bread and milk!! Bread and milk!!! AAAAAHHHH!"  traffic right before the snow hit but it was pretty clear from the panic that the END WAS NIGH. We got the same storm. Now, few cities are as much of a nightmare as Atlanta to drive in but if everyone else knew it was coming then I would think Atlanta officials ought to have been taking more initiative than every other town around it that is 1/8th the size.

 

 

 

[Retired]

I know that most news folks are only covering Atlanta (CNN and weather station are based in Atlanta)

 

But Birmingham was not in the forecast for the quick snow/freeze and its really is still a mess.  The snow system was going to be south of B'ham metro.  

 

My sister spent 12 hours in her car for a 20 min commute.  She then just abandon her car and walked home about 6 miles along the interstate. 

 

I have a homeschool friend with a mentally and physically challenge son and 2 daughters that were stuck in their cars on interstate 20 over night.  The area of the interstate has only within the past few hours got the cars moving.  There are area of 65 north that had people sleeping in their cars overnight.

 

My dh was  in  north bham for a  meeting within 35 min of his hotel.  It took him 3 1/2 hours because of all the wreaked cars.  He was frustrated with the other folks on the road.  The only vehicles that could of drove that mess were 4 wheel drive  with someone who actually knows how to use   (I also joke within that the people here that were 80's rednecks doing all the mud track were the only ones prepared to drive this slush)  and those that are northern transplants that had snow chains.  (My neighbors just moved here from Wisconsin so they still had 4wheel drive,  snow tires and chains.  There were transporting lots of folks home.

 

this place has been a dang mess.  Then the areas south of us have had an ice storm with fatalities.

 

The thing with Alabama is they should of had the National guard out yesterday evening helping the folks stuck in their cars.  It was like 19 degrees here and people just don't have the winter emergency stuff in their cars like you living in the North.

 

This is the coldest winter that we have experience in  over a decade.  The last time Birmingham was this froze up was in 1993 but we had warning so folks were already home.  The last one that was not forecast appropriately and had this type of emergency was in 1982 when I was 12. 

[Annie Laurie]

Edited a little due to paranoia about personal info on internet:

 

I know someone who was on the freeway overnight, from 3:30 yesterday afternoon until 8:30 this morning.

[Lolly]

I know that most news folks are only covering Atlanta (CNN and weather station are based in Atlanta)

 

But Birmingham was not in the forecast for the quick snow/freeze and its really is still a mess.  The snow system was going to be south of B'ham metro.  

 

My sister spent 12 hours in her car for a 20 min commute.  She then just abandon her car and walked home about 6 miles along the interstate. 

 

I have a homeschool friend with a mentally and physically challenge son and 2 daughters that were stuck in their cars on interstate 20 over night.  The area of the interstate has only within the past few hours got the cars moving.  There are area of 65 north that had people sleeping in their cars overnight.

 

My dh was  in  north bham for a  meeting within 35 min of his hotel.  It took him 3 1/2 hours because of all the wreaked cars.  He was frustrated with the other folks on the road.  The only vehicles that could of drove that mess were 4 wheel drive  with someone who actually knows how to use   (I also joke within that the people here that were 80's rednecks doing all the mud track were the only ones prepared to drive this slush)  and those that are northern transplants that had snow chains.  (My neighbors just moved here from Wisconsin so they still had 4wheel drive,  snow tires and chains.  There were transporting lots of folks home.

 

this place has been a dang mess.  Then the areas south of us have had an ice storm with fatalities.

 

The thing with Alabama is they should of had the National guard out yesterday evening helping the folks stuck in their cars.  It was like 19 degrees here and people just don't have the winter emergency stuff in their cars like you living in the North.

 

This is the coldest winter that we have experience in  over a decade.  The last time Birmingham was this froze up was in 1993 but we had warning so folks were already home.  The last one that was not forecast appropriately and had this type of emergency was in 1982 when I was 12. 

 

I remember '82. Many had to walk home from school. Snowed in for a solid week. The population was less dense back then; made it a lot easier than this one.

 

It seems like Bham was hit worse than Atlanta from what I have been hearing from people in both areas and from the pictures I'm seeing. (Of course, I know more in AL which might make it seem so to me.) I keep wondering why Atlanta is the center of all the media attention when Bham seems to have been hit harder and less aware of it coming.

[Lolly]

I still don't get how anyone can say you had no idea it was coming. I'm in SC; we heard the forecasts on Monday afternoon before we left our Co-op. We are north and east of Atlanta, and knew that we could get hit. 

 

The Weather Channel this morning showed the Winter Storm Watch and Winter Storm Warning posts for the metro Atlanta area, many hours before it hit, in time for closings to happen, etc. 

 

I was speaking of Birmingham. I did kind of assume Atlanta had as little warning since they seemed to be in the same situation. The snow/weather was supposed to stay to the south. 

[ChocolateReignRemix]

I was speaking of Birmingham. I did kind of assume Atlanta had as little warning since they seemed to be in the same situation. The snow/weather was supposed to stay to the south. 

 

Correct.  The system was supposed to be the south, and was supposed to come in later than predicted.  There was talk of a small system hitting the north side, but again, the prediction was that nothing would be hitting until 5-ish.  I believe most predictions had the possibility of precipitation at around 30% most of the afternoon.

[Stacia]

I keep wondering why Atlanta is the center of all the media attention when Bham seems to have been hit harder and less aware of it coming.

Probably because Atl is a bigger city & a major transportation hub for people & goods moving throughout the southeastern US.

 

(And, Atl is the home of CNN. ;) )

[Silverwood]

I know that most news folks are only covering Atlanta (CNN and weather station are based in Atlanta)

 

But Birmingham was not in the forecast for the quick snow/freeze and its really is still a mess. The snow system was going to be south of B'ham metro.

 

My sister spent 12 hours in her car for a 20 min commute. She then just abandon her car and walked home about 6 miles along the interstate.

 

I have a homeschool friend with a mentally and physically challenge son and 2 daughters that were stuck in their cars on interstate 20 over night. The area of the interstate has only within the past few hours got the cars moving. There are area of 65 north that had people sleeping in their cars overnight.

 

My dh was in north bham for a meeting within 35 min of his hotel. It took him 3 1/2 hours because of all the wreaked cars. He was frustrated with the other folks on the road. The only vehicles that could of drove that mess were 4 wheel drive with someone who actually knows how to use (I also joke within that the people here that were 80's rednecks doing all the mud track were the only ones prepared to drive this slush) and those that are northern transplants that had snow chains. (My neighbors just moved here from Wisconsin so they still had 4wheel drive, snow tires and chains. There were transporting lots of folks home.

 

this place has been a dang mess. Then the areas south of us have had an ice storm with fatalities.

 

The thing with Alabama is they should of had the National guard out yesterday evening helping the folks stuck in their cars. It was like 19 degrees here and people just don't have the winter emergency stuff in their cars like you living in the North.

 

This is the coldest winter that we have experience in over a decade. The last time Birmingham was this froze up was in 1993 but we had warning so folks were already home. The last one that was not forecast appropriately and had this type of emergency was in 1982 when I was 12.

I had a couple of family members stuck on I 20, and a friend that was able to make it off of the Leeds exit, but had to leave her car and still can't get back to it. All of the roads around me are impassable due to the amount of cars stuck. Also feel bad for the many kids having to spend another night in schools. It's so hard for people to prepare for something we have no clue is coming when we do not have winter weather events such as this, at least not on a regular basis.

[lmrich]

The original forecast called for a dusting of snow and that the ice would be closer to Macon. HOWEVER, when Birmingham got hit hard ATL should have noticed and reacted.

 

We just got home from a funeral in SC on Monday. We stayed in a hotel after my kids started reading twitter and Facebook accounts to us. We drove the last 40 miles today taking 5 hours which is not bad considering what most people have endured. Amazingly there have only been two fatalities. It looked awful driving past so many abandoned cars.

[MyThreeSons]

I was speaking of Birmingham. I did kind of assume Atlanta had as little warning since they seemed to be in the same situation. The snow/weather was supposed to stay to the south. 

 

My town is just off the I-85 corridor between Atlanta and Charlotte -- North and East. We knew early Monday afternoon that we had a good chance of getting snow and/or ice on Tuesday afternoon. And the storm was coming through GA to get to us. 

[Lolly]

My town is just off the I-85 corridor between Atlanta and Charlotte -- North and East. We knew early Monday afternoon that we had a good chance of getting snow and/or ice on Tuesday afternoon. And the storm was coming through GA to get to us. 

 

You were very fortunate to have forewarning. It really makes things easier, doesn't it?

 

We had nothing predicted here. (TN) We got snow. It came quickly. But, it was true snow. The kind you can pretty much brush off of your car (that was a nice change!). 45 minutes (southeast of us) away, they had nothing as predicted. It hasn't been that bad here because it is snow; you can drive on it! The only problems came when they dismissed all the schools at the same time. All those parents left work to pick up their kids from school and daycare. Dd sat in the parking lot for over an hour because she was low on gas. It took forever for it to clear out enough for her to leave. 

[ZooRho]

I still don't get how anyone can say you had no idea it was coming. I'm in SC; we heard the forecasts on Monday afternoon before we left our Co-op. We are north and east of Atlanta, and knew that we could get hit. 

 

The Weather Channel this morning showed the Winter Storm Watch and Winter Storm Warning posts for the metro Atlanta area, many hours before it hit, in time for closings to happen, etc. 

That is what Al Rooker said on the news that it did change on Monday that the storm was coming,

and then 8 hours before it hit there was the change to more definite to hit the Atlanta area.

 

some of the comments on one of the articles I read was great.