On Friday, a giant winter blizzard named Nemo piled on snow measuring as much as three feet deep in parts of the northeastern cosatal areas of the U.S. The high winds and snow have caused power outages for millions of people. Trying to get out to do anything has been just about impossible in these areas so if you didn't get stocked up on supplies before the storm, you weren't going to do it at all. Everything was pretty much closed up because of dangerous traveling conditions. What made it even more difficult besides the accumulated snow were the strong winds and drifts.
It's been a tiring wait-and-see game for many residents. Flights have had to be cancelled, cars are buried under the snow and many wait to get the power back on. With the fridgid temperatures and howling wind, being outside was not a good choice for anyone. Once the snow stopped and the winds died down, the snow for some became a playground. Others tried to wait patiently for the power to come back on.
According to NBCNews, by 4:52 p.m. E.T. transportation was slowly starting up again and there were limited flight schedules reopened in New York airports. Boston's Logan Airport expected to open later regardless of whether there would be flights or not. In Massachusetts, the driving ban was lifted for the western third of the state and they were trying to bring things back to normal.
For many areas everything just stopped for a day. People were asked to stay indoors for their own safety and also for emergency crews and snow plows to get around unhampered. With 584,000 people without power, utility trucks were busy trying to get to and fix the power lines so that electricity could be restored.
At least nine deaths were reported as a result of the storm including an 81-year-old woman in Connecticut who was killed by a hit-and-run driver while she was using a snow blower to clear away some snow.
An 11-year-old boy was helping his father shovel snow around their car. It was really cold so he climbed into the car and his father turned on the engine not realizing that the car's exhaust pipe was covered by a snow drift. The boy succumbed from breathing in carbon monoxide fumes. When his father realized something was wrong he and some neighbors tried giving him CPR. He was rushed to a nearby hospital where he died. His father was overcome with grief when he realized what happened.
Another man in Livingston County, New York died when the tractor he was using to plow snow went off the edge of the road, tipped over and fell on top of him.
In Poughkeepsie, New York an 18-year-old woman lost control of her car and struck a 74-year-old man who died after he was taken to the hospital.
Once the snow stopped, there were record-breaking snow falls reported in much of the northeast. The areas that were hit the hard were Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Central Park in New York reported 11.4 inches.
It was reported by Mayor Bloomberg that there were 2,200 pieces of equipment in New York salting and plowing the streets to get things back to normal. People are being asked to stay indoors until things get back to normal. Emergency crews were working hard to handle all of the calls that were coming in to them. Hindering them were the many stranded and buried cars.
There were hundreds of National Guard soldiers and airmen who helped to provide roadway support, emergency transportation and back up for first responders. Their presence was surely appreciated while the affected areas were literally shut down and travel impossible.
It was certainly a storm that won't soon be forgotten. but it was not as bad as it could have been. Years down the road people will still remember the winter blizzard, Nemo of 2013. As bad as it was, it was not as bad as it could have been. So far, the death toll is at nine and hopefully there will not be more. Because, in many cases, people were literally snowed in, there were no other incidents reported other than stranded motorists, people without electricity and probably some medical emergencies.
With the huge amount of snow that was dumped on the northeast, it's possible that there could be some problems with flooding in some areas when the snow begins to melt, especially if it melts quickly. When it does melt, hopefully they will not be hit with any heavy rain to make matters worse.
For some who were able to get outside when the snow stopped falling, it was a time to play and just enjoy the snow. Some people were simply amazed at the amount of snow that had fallen and the sheer beauty of it. However those who had to dig their cars out from under the snow were probably not seeing the snow as a thing of beauty.
By 3 a.m. E.T.on Saturday, Hamden, Connecticut saw 2 feet 10 inches of snow covering the area and then later rising to 40 inches. Milford Connecticut reported 38 inches of snow there.
In Camden, Maine the annual Championship Tobaggon race was postponed for a day. They planned to go ahead with the event as soon as the weather cleared on Saturday and it was safe to proceed.
The Toboggan Committee has been busy getting things ready for the U.S. National Togoggan Championships to go on.
Lets's hope that the snow will make the championship race even more enjoyable and that there will be no accidents because of the snow.
According to the weather channel winter storm, Nemo should be heading out to sea in the next few hours. However a new storm, Orko is forming in the southwest and is heading northeast toward Minneapolis. Snow fall is not expected to be more than about 3 inches.
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