Storm stories Dec 2022

LaurieLovesLearning

I don't have any local stories to tell about the storms that went through here on the 23rd & 25th. We had freezing rain today, warnings just ended. The roads reportedly aren't too bad. Now, a couple weeks ago, there were extremely icy roads & jacknifed semis & cars in the ditches out to the east in Manitoba, but I never heard of any deaths. Our snow...we've got some, but we could easily have more.

This story came into my email today. For those unfamiliar with the geographical features of North America, Lake Erie is one of the Great Lakes. As those by lakes in the north can attest, winds combined with water & cold can create wondrous ice sculptures. We have seen spectacular pictures of many unique ice sculptures beside Manitoba's large lakes, Lake Winnipeg and Lake Manitoba, in winter.

The fact that the one place received 8' of snow is amazing. I've seen drifts as high as houses here. I imagine those folks will have fantastic pictures too.

On the more sad subject of deaths caused by this storm, it always makes me wonder, every time I hear of deaths...yes, cardiac arrests from shoveling, and emergency response delays...those are expected to happen after large snowstorms, but even the cardiac arrests can be avoided in some instances. But when people are found in cars...why did they feel they had to go out? Those found outside...I have the same question. Those two are fully avoidable. Staying put inside where you've prepared is best. In some cases, a very cold home/no heat is unavoidable, but planning ahead of time can help prevent you from freezing in your home.

It just brings me great sadness and a part of me mourns for those lives needlessly snuffed out due to poor decisions.

This is why I felt it important to give warnings about the North American winter storm beforehand (and I think @torey, experienced in first responder situations, felt the urgency as well). Prevention & preparation is always key...and next to nothing is so important as to go out in conditions that are dangerous.

https://www.theepochtimes.com/town-of-crystal-beach-fort-erie-covered-in-ice-after-massive-storm_4949492.html

Anyone who has pictures or stories, please share them below.

heirlooms777

It’s still a little too painful to share, but I had a minor surgical procedure that when wrong the day before the storm, and my former significant other was going to work right here during the storm and after surgery, but pushed too hard and waited too long and was stranded. I am struggling for breath and not thinking very clearly, and the next day instead of heading home to his gasping significant other, he went home to his (healthy) mother. That was Friday. I kept gasping for breath all the way until Monday or Tuesday, isolated completely until after Christmas. Surgery was only one week ago, I just looked at the calendar. During this time my father was and is still in ICU, and strangely my sister decided not to tell us that Dad was fighting for his life. Today he opened his eyes. I will see him tomorrow. This is the worst, isolated Christmas ever, and still a living nightmare.

LaurieLovesLearning

@heirlooms777 I am so sorry that you are going through all of that. Be kind to yourself as you continue to recover.

I hope your visit with your father goes well in spite of everything.

Often we keep difficult circumstances to ourselves instead of talking about them. Thank you for sharing.

Torey

We didn't get near the amounts of snow that hit the eastern half of NA. But enough to close all the major routes out of the south coast. On Christmas Eve, there was a horrible bus crash on one of those routes that had temporarily re-opened. 4 people died and several others were seriously injured. Awful tragedy made so much worse so close to Christmas.

There was record setting cold here that lasted for about a week. I heard of a few frozen pipes and in a city a couple of hours north, there were two broken water mains, so quite a few people were without water for awhile.

There was very little traffic on the road when it was so cold so maybe people are getting the message about staying home, although -40 is enough to discourage most people from venturing out (particularly when the vehicles won't start). But in the week prior, we attended several vehicle accidents, one in a nasty snowstorm. Not quite sure what was so important that those people were out and about.

I often feel like the "broken record" with warnings I post on our VFD Facebook page, but there are still people who are unprepared.

@heirlooms777 How frightening, gasping for breath, for such an extended time. Sorry you felt so isolated.

SuperC

We had winds that caused snowdrifts yet not as bad as South Dakota with ten foot high drifts that 18-wheeler semis were stuck. In MN, There were spinouts, accidents and several vehicle roll overs. White out and blizzard conditions for several days. That was last week.

Now, it’s raining at 10F with more snow on the way.

heirlooms777

Thank you, dear @torey . I still feel like someone has their hands around my throat (and chest) from surgery eight days ago, but when acid (or whatever it is) goes up my throat (from drinking water or just getting hungry, etc) then I feel the throat constricting. I now can eat, and found some cough syrup (wild Cherry bark, etc) that seems to be helping, but slowly. The isolation is the hard part. —Christina

Michelle D

We had family that were not able to make the 3 hour drive to our area from their home for Christmas because the major highway between here and there was after a 60 car pile up that caused several fatalities. My heart goes out to those families.

@heirlooms777 that sounds horrible. I hope that you will feel better soon!

kbmbillups1

No storm here but very low temps at night 9 degrees was the lowest. I don't remember it ever being that cold here. Needless to say, a lot of people didn't leave their faucets dripping so there were burst pipes everywhere! We figured it was better to have a higher water bill than to have a huge plumber bill, so we left every faucet dripping!

Of course, my winter gardens looked like frozen vegetables from the freezer! With temps that low covering them with plastic was a joke.

All in all, we were lucky compared to people in other parts of the country.

heirlooms777

@torey doing better. Just came from er, and it is acid reflux — so that is what that is. Yuck! —Christina

vickeym

We ended up with a couple weeks of temperatures around -20 or so. They were calling for 4 foot of snow in a three day period. Our area, we were lucky enough to only get 2 feet. Anchorage got close to the 4 feet. Some areas got freezing rain on top of that.

Roads were a mess, high winds in areas, blowing traffic, especially semi's and other large box van types of vehicles off the road. Rolling some, pushing others into snow drifts. Several roads closed by snow drifts. Things are just starting to get back to normal and there is freezing rain in the forecast again.

heirlooms777

You are all so amazing. Thank you.

SuperC

Well, the weather man was wrong yet that’s the norm (that’s normal) here in the midwest.