RSS
Home
The blizzard of '96: tales from the drifts
Print
Email
RSS
Subscribe
The "The Blizzard of '96" certainly struck a chord with many people. There was so much feedback on it and the column "The blizzard that broke a transplant's back" that I simply had to share. Many New Jerseyans recalled harrowing drives, being stranded without power, and having to sleep in airports, stores and offices. Amazingly, some liked it. Others did not. .jpg)
For many, that blizzard was the last straw:
Mike emphatically stated, "Like others here, that was the one that finished me off. It took several years to leave for me, though. I've said it before and I'll say it again: life is too short for such nonsense, that is, if you can't handle it. I can't handle it. There are many others however, who can. I just don't see any point to it."
Apparently, neither do I.
"I remember it vividly. I was sitting pretty in Honolulu the entire winter, going to the beach every afternoon and reading about the blizzard online and emailing my friends back in NJ/Philadelphia with messages such as, 'Wish you were here!' Yes, I remember that blizzard very well."
Nice.
Bob said, "I remember seeing in on the news and hearing about it from family- I was living in Vegas at the time. The winter of 93-94 was what put us over the edge and sent us to Vegas, so I fully understand why you went to Arizona."
Bob said, "I remember seeing in on the news and hearing about it from family- I was living in Vegas at the time. The winter of 93-94 was what put us over the edge and sent us to Vegas, so I fully understand why you went to Arizona."
Thanks, Bob. Though Vegas casinos do beat the ones on the Arizona Reservations.
Some felt a mixture of fear and fun: Mattie remembered, "In less than ten miles the roads were covered with several inches. My kids were 11, 5 and 4, and I was seriously frightened. A truly harrowing experience. When we got home my husband had spent the day cooking a huge pot of meatballs and sausage to keep his mind off the weather. All the neighbors came over to eat, wading through massive drifts to do so."
Her husband must make some really good meatballs. Then again, free food is free food.
Shanny recalled, "Ah yes...the storm that prompted my move to California. I was in Manhattan visiting friends and was stuck there for two days. I was parked in a garage so in ONE way it was good that I was not parked on the street (my car didn't get buried) but in another way, I remember it being over $100 to get my car out of the garage. Even if I got the car out before then, where would I go? Gov.Christie Todd Whitman closed the turnpike/parkway.
However...I remember walking up Lexington Avenue/86th Street (in the middle of the street). People were skiing past us, people were smiling. Very strange thing to see in Manhattan.
My friend and I ended up on Channel 5 news. We bought these disc shaped sled things and used them in Central Park...still moved to California within six months though and stayed there for twelve years...BUT...I came back!"
However...I remember walking up Lexington Avenue/86th Street (in the middle of the street). People were skiing past us, people were smiling. Very strange thing to see in Manhattan.
My friend and I ended up on Channel 5 news. We bought these disc shaped sled things and used them in Central Park...still moved to California within six months though and stayed there for twelve years...BUT...I came back!"
There are many valid reasons why the Garden State was a little emptier after the "storm of the century":
"The area (where I lived) was mostly old summer bungalow homes converted to a bedroom community, the construction was less then up to par. There were many roof cave-ins from the snow. Gutters were ripped from the rake boards. Flooded basements and on and on. That was a bad bad winter."
"I tried to get home and didn't make it... Route 15 closed while my car was still on it, so I spent the first night in my car on Rt. 15, about 2 miles from my house. Cell phone service was not as reliable so I tried to call my wife several dozen times and was disconnected every time. At least she knew I was alive! Finally got home the next morning…and there was no power... and it stayed that way for 3 days! I dug a path to my grill so we could cook some meals. The third day, power was restored, and I spent the day defrosting the water pipes hoping they would not explode."
Of course, New Jersey being…well…New Jersey, it wouldn't be a story unless a few fights broke out:
"I was stuck in Pennsylvania for two days as Whitman closed Rt. 80. When I finally made it home, our complex still had three feet of snow on the roads as one of the homeowner's took a swing at the contractor for piling snow up in front of his garage... so the contractor walked off the job. My company ended up getting the contract for that snow storm : ))) My back is still sore to this day from shoveling the sidewalks."
At least he got a job out of it.
"Oh yes, I remember the Blizzard of '96 very well! Three feet of snow in something like 24 hours. They shut the roads down. Our entire car was buried in the snow. It took an entire day to shovel out. Our neighbors almost came to blows over who was tossing their shoveled snow onto the other's property. It was so exciting!"
You've gotta like a Jersey girl who enjoys a good fight.
But not everyone has a problem with snow. Some obviously enjoy it, especially those who get out of work or school.
Mary shared, "I remember it was a state emergency so my office closed, I loved it!!"
Johnny fondly remembered, "I loved that blizzard, it was great! I cleared out the driveway and everything was just white and piled with snow! Beautiful! Then I walked all over town. It's like walking in an alpine village, except one where there is an A&P and a diner that is open and selling Taylor Ham, egg, and cheese sandwiches!!! I had some coffee and hot chocolate along the way. I walked over to the glen, and watched the kids loving the sledding. Honestly, those are some of the best days in NJ. That is something I would miss if I move to the desert."
I must admit that one made me a little nostalgic. It also made me a little hungry.
Todd had a good time, "Oh the blizzard of '96. I drove to the movies in Staten Island...it was empty. We were only ones there. We definitely had a great time in there! That's the only thing I remember of it!"
Oh Todd, you tease. Sounds like you're leaving out the best part.
"I was a little kid. We shoveled the sidewalk and ended up with a pile in the street that was at least fifteen feet high. The pictures of me on top of the pile are hilarious. Damn, I love this area."
"Was in the 6th grade and living in Bergen County. No school for 3 days...good times!!"
"That was a freaking awesome week. Loved it!"
"We were young and broke, looking back now it was one of the scariest and yet best adventures we have had."
"This was the best storm only because of the fact that we got to miss so much school from it! All my friends had to stay over at my house because we were snowed in. It was so great to stay up past midnight in the middle of the week. We went outside to play and one of my friends almost got hit by a snowplow. He had to jump into a snowbank on the side of the road and the plow tossed SO much snow over his whole body. Best memory ever!"
GREAT times!
And some people can have fun in any situation:
"I was just talking about the blizzard of '96 last night. I was flying back from London - supposed to land in Newark. Flight took off fine but then they closed Newark airport. We were diverted to Montreal where we landed and spend TWO nights before we could fly back to Newark. It actually ended up being fantastic. British Airways put us up in a great hotel...all expenses paid. We had never been to Montreal before so it was a wonderful opportunity to sightsee."
"Hadn't seen weather like that since I was a child living in Westchester, NY in about '55! Snow drifts were 3-4ft. high then. Snow scenes like those are "magical". We get suspended in time and place - at least until the cleanup starts."
"We have a relatively flat roof in the back of our house that used to be prone to ice damming, so I used to shovel heavy snows off the roof onto the ground below - well, after doing so with this much snow, we had like a five foot pile of snow on the ground right below the ten foot high roof, so I decided to do some roof dives into the giant snow pile. My wife thought I was nuts and my son cracked up at me - it was really fun."
Was this the inspiration for the TV show "Jackass"?
But the award for most dramatic blizzard tale must go to Anna, whose experience had all the elements of a good action movie:
"I will NEVER forget that storm! Fair Lawn had 29 inches of snow! I came down with Gillian Barre the day after the storm. My baby was just 3 months old. I lived on a dead end street. I got up to go to the bathroom and collapsed. The town was bulldozing the snow several blocks away. When I called 9-1-1, they came immediately down my street to bulldoze the snow away so that a pickup truck could come down and bring me to the top of my street for a waiting ambulance! I had such wonderful neighbors. They took care of my baby so my husband could be with me in the hospital. When my in-laws came to pick up my baby, they had to pass her along over a mound of snow.
The snow was so beautiful though."
Every snow cloud does have a silver lining.
Thank you to my readers for sharing these wonderful stories!
Don't miss a beat. You can now click on "subscribe to email" (below) to receive an email alert each time a new column appears.
Related Articles:
Add a Comment
It's that time of year again. Whether you are a fan of annual holiday letters or not, the fact remains that these epistles do serve a purpose. …
For many transplants, the holidays in Arizona can be bittersweet. On the one hand, you enjoy reminding your family back home that you are celebrating …
