[speedgibson] Speed Gibson: The Day After

[Email subscription to blog articles]

Posted by Speed Gibson:
The Day After
http://speedgibson.powerblogs.com/posts/1233884546.shtml


   You may have seen the coverage of the winter storm that pushed through
   parts of Arkansas, Kentucky, Missouri, and Illinois. On the way down,
   we drove through this area the day after, actually shortly after
   sunset.
   For an extended distance in Illinois and Kentucky, the countryside was
   dark. Fortunately, we had just refueled, as other than one isolated
   oasis, all the gas stations, hotels, etc that adorn freeway exits were
   dark. The trees were all bowed over with ice. Numerous cars and a few
   semis had spun off the road. It was like "The Day After" when the
   "nuclear winter" had snow falling in late summer Kansas. Or the TV
   series "Jericho."
   When we returned, the ice had melted but the trees were mostly broken
   and snapped from the weight. Power crews were everywhere, with crews
   sleeping in churches in some areas because the hotels are either full
   or without power. Radio reports said today that 270,000 were still
   out, and that it would likely take another week or more to repair it
   all.
   Everyone seemed pretty calm about it all. There was no whining about
   FEMA. People seemed to understand that you can't plan for such freak
   weather, just react the best you know how. Granted, it wasn't like you
   could drown or lose everything in a flood like New Orleans, but I
   think it speaks very well of these good old boys and girls.