In Retrospect, the Blizzard of '78: 30 Years Later, by Michele Cameron Drew

Friday, December 05, 2008

In Retrospect, the Blizzard of '78: 30 Years Later, by Michele Cameron Drew

Thirty years later, a flashback on the snow storm of the century which was the inspiration for the recently published poem "Starbird Hill" by Michele Cameron Drew.

Flashback to the "Blizzard of '78": Although I only talk about the beauty and wonder of the storm of the century through the eyes of a child in my poem "Starbird Hill", New England and parts of the New York metro area were covered in up to a nearly 5 foot deep blanket of cold and white. The snowfall began on February 5th and ended on February 8th, with the 6th-7th being the time of major accumulation. Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island were the hardest hit, with up to 55 inches of accumulation in some areas.

In New England weather forecasting is difficult and one of the primary issues with this storm was that we were broadsided without foreknowledge of the storm's severity.

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Known for clearing the roads well in advance of the work day and informing workers of impending severe conditions, the Boston area was dumb-struck in the wake of this storm. Routes 128 and 93 were literally buried beneath an ocean of vehicles, snow and human beings. The army and the national guard were called out to pull the vehicles and individuals off of the highways. Over 3500 cars were found abandoned and buried just on the major roadways, in the aftermath. The state of Massachusetts was deemed a "natural disaster area" and all driving was banned on the roadways.

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While so many were stuck in their cars on the roadways, countless others were literally buried inside their homes and many areas, including where I lived, were without power for over a week. There were snow drifts of up to 15 feet in some places.