Preparing for the Next Storm
Decatur Metro | January 14, 2011After being trapped in the house for a week, I think many of us are just chock-full of suggestions for how to better prepare for the next snow/ice storm. Bob writes in with a request…
I would like a dedicated thread for suggestions to the City of Decatur…on what they might do to prepare for the next snow storm. I think more could be done without costing an arm and a leg.
I’m always up for a constructive exercise that aims at bettering ourselves and the community. (Lord, that sounded a bit sappy. Even for me.) But I’d like to expand it beyond just suggestions for the city, and also open up the virtual floor to suggestions for neighborhood groups and each other. For example, how can we encourage more residents to shovel sidewalks after a storm? Perhaps we could create shovel-exchange centers in neighborhoods and folks could leave their ID and take a shovel for an hour or two?
I dunno. Just thinking out-loud.
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No comments for the city, but my personal lesson learned:
I will shovel my driveway and put some of that ice melt stuff down on the driveway and my front steps. The weatherman yesterday said that if you use the leaf blower it will help to break up the ice. Going to try that too.
My lesson learned: I saw a huge pile of big bags of salt at Kroger on Sunday, and I didn’t buy any. I would have thrown it all over Sycamore up and down if I’d had it, esp at the stop signs.
Forget the sand, just get some salt. I think we all out to do this as well to keep some of the sidewalks safe.
I plan to buy a snow shovel. I used my garden shovel for my front walk and worry I may have dulled the edge. I hope the city will try to lay down sand on the busiest roads earlier next time. Agreements and plans should be worked out with the county and state regarding non-city roads within city limits.
“should be worked out with the county and state regarding non-city roads within city limits.”
Well, we know what actually happened, but technically, GDOT is responsible anyway for State routes, which in the City would be GA155 (Clairemont/Commerce/S Candler), US78 (Scott Blvd), US378 (College).
I also plan on buying a snow shovel. There’s stuff in my house currently that I use less than a would a snow shovel.
You can always sharpen the edge of a shovel.
I will buy my kids sleds earlier so we don’t have to wreck the house looking for something that will slide down the hill. I will also clear my walkway and driveway before the ice settles in!
If we would all go out and clean the sidewalks and streets in front of our own homes (and get together as neighborhoods to clear hills and intersections, etc.), then the streets in subdivisions wouldn’t be such a big issue. It will never be a reasonable use of tax revenues in Georgia to buy enough snowplows to handle a once-a-decade type of storm, so the state/local governments will never have adequate resources to do the whole job themselves in situations like this. But it’s not unreasonable to believe we could take care of it ourselves if we just made the effort instead of complaining how no one else came to do it for us.
I agree. Get it up early as possible. I didn’t appreciate how hard that ice gets after a few days.
Monday I shoveled out my own driveway and walk while it was easing off, very easy.
Tuesday, I did a couple of neighbors drives and the ice was getting harder.
Wednesday, I did an intersection by Winnona Park and it took an hour to chip out that ice which had hardened like epoxy resin.
Ruined my shovel too.
When I lived in Ohio, many of the plows were not county/city/state owned, but actually owned by various dump truck operators, etc, around the city. On snow days, a militia of sort is activated.
It’s win-win–the dump trucks aren’t doing anything until the roads are passable anyway, it allows them to offset (via county contract) what would have otherwise been a lost morning/day of work.
Anyone know whether theres anything of the sort in place here? Obviously the dump truck ops fund the plow, which may not be attractive in GA–but if we subsidized plows for, say, 5-10 Decatur-based dump trucks, I don’t imagine that would be cost-prohibitive.
I have the same thoughts! I come from the northeast and many of the landscape companies, that owned large trucks, would also own a plow that they could attach. The townships and cities would then hire them as contractors particularly for the side streets. Since many landscapers are not typically busy in the winter this was a great source of income for them.
“…chock full of…” Not “…chalkful of…”
Love,
DTR Grammarian
Are you sure he/she wasn’t just full of chalk?
Always good to have a grammarian on hand or a good copy editor.
I’ll be sure to stock the larder, as I did this time, and enjoy being home with the family for however long it takes to thaw… We both work all week, kids are in school, and weekends are spent doing everything we don’t have time to do in the middle of the week. WE LOVED IT!!!
We did too!
If you were able to work from home this week, did you find yourself being more productive than you would’ve been had you been able to make it to the office like a normal week? Or if you had gone to the office half a day a couple of times?
I worked from home all week and certainly found myself finishing one project in half the time it would’ve taken to do at the office. Maybe I unconsciously knew that come next week, I’d have a lot more work waiting for me.
Things I will do again:
1. go to grocery store before storm event, plan for a few days more than I think I will need (after all, we’ll use it anyway), and remember to include all pet supplies
2. shovel my sidewalk and path to car, plus some of the drive and road area immediately behind my drive so I have some traction while getting out of the driveway
3. spread salt on the areas I shovel (I just used my Morton’s house salt, and it worked like a charm)
4. help my neighbor shovel a tire track worth of path to the next road (not my idea, but it helped IMMENSELY)
Things I will do to prepare for the next time:
1. Purchase an actual snow shovel (the garden shovel took a beating this week)
2. Purchase a bag of snow salt removal
3. Put my name on a neighborhood listserve so I can get neighborhood bullitins, and be available to shovel some sidewalks that are strategic to get downtown or MARTA
Things I will do during the next snow event (beyond what I did this time):
1. Shovel my walk earlier than I did, and remember that it really did make a huge difference. Plus shovel a greater area in the road beyond my driveway, to increase starting traction
2. rope a few more neighbors into shoveling tire tracks down the block
3. help some elderly neighbors shovel their sidewalks/path to door
Things I would like to see City or other officials do:
1. Be Proactive. When a weather event is going to take place in a week that has very low temps following the event, action during and right after the initial storm are critical. I promise to help educate any citizens who complain about wasted resources- its not a waste! I couldn’t go spend money in Decatur businesses this week b/c I couldn’t get to them!
2. Be strategic. Mark out prime walking routes for downtown, and main paths to downtown, and at least salt the sidewalks, shovel where neighborhoods don’t/can’t along those stragegic (main thing, don’t ignore sidewalks in favor of road-only action). Do same for roads and most dangerous and high traffic hills.
2. Communicate- let residents know which sidewalks and streets have been sanded/salted and when. Remind residents what we can do to help ourselves. Maybe set up an award for best neighborhood response to a snow storm?!
3. Continue to reallocate resources– we all really appreciated the city workers who were shoveling sidewalks on Thursday. I needed that way more than garbage pick up.
4. MARTA officials- plesae remember that you can be our lifeline, and have maintainence workers shovel sidewalks and paths in and around the station (no sidewalk clearing had been done at East Lake, and it was very icy/dangerous to move from pavers around entrance to the parking lot). The better accessible MARTA is, the more people will stay off the roads.
Macarolina- Great list! (Except for quibble w/ salt.) Thanks for nudging us DM readers to clear our dang sidewalk! I crept cautiously around the block & did it yesterday– only fell once! Passing walkers were very appreciative. Wish I could figure out how the joggers in the street keep from wiping out!
excellent suggestions Is anyone listening?
Is there a priest out there listening to all these confessions?
From years of living Up North, I learned to keep a small bag of sand or rock salt in the trunk of the car for emergencies like getting stuck in a supermarket parking lot. Also a small shovel in the car (the kind for snow) to dig yourself out if you are parked outdoors away from home when a snowpocalypse starts.
Another snow shoveling trick. Throw some rock salt down in the morning when you get up. Then in the afternoon when the Big Melt comes, grab the garden hoe and use it as an ice pick to chop up the ice and shovel it out of the way. Pretending the ice is your boss or your ex makes this a more rewarding job than it has any right to be.
Also, read DM every morning for tips on streets to avoid and updates on things like which pubs are open and which supermarkets actually have food. DM, you have been indespensible to me and I would never go through another snowpocalyse without you. Thanks.
I resolve to do nothing different at all and wouldn’t ask the city/county/etc to do anything different, either.
— Our fridge/pantry supplies were at normal levels before the storm, and provided more than enough food for the week. Ran out of milk on Tuesday, but it was the very definition of “no big deal.” Ate some frozen food, leftovers, etc.
— Avoiding panic food shopping on Sunday kept me out of long supermarket lines. The line of cars waiting to get into YDFM on Sunday stretched for about a quarter mile in each direction. I drove right on by.
— Didn’t shovel the driveway because I don’t have a snow shovel, and because I spent Monday sledding with the kids. I’d never remember the time spent shoveling. I’ll never forget the sledding.
— Didn’t back the cars out of the driveway until today. And it was no big deal. Hence, the icy spots on the roads were no big deal because I just did not drive on them.
Most excellent!
“I’d never remember the time spent shoveling. I’ll never forget the sledding.”
that’s the spirit, dem! way to go!
I’m with you DEM. We listen to the weather so got our foodstuffs, movies and batteries on Saturday. Enjoyed the snow Sunday. On Monday before it all froze, I shoveled our drive just enough to get traction. Enjoyed being snowed/iced in Tues-Wed. Got out on Thursday only because our coffee maker went bye-bye.
We are eternally grateful that there were no power outages. Can you imagine what the last five days would have been like WITHOUT POWER? Stop whining and count your blessings!!!
How about the City having a network of contractors they can hire to clear streets? Graders, landscapers, pavers, and others can’t work in this weather, so I’m sure there would be plenty available.
I’m watching a team of workers clear the melting ice at Oakhurst Elementary. They have been working on shoveling the melting ice for a few hours. Last time I checked, school was not set to open til next Tuesday and temps are above freezing. Of the workers, most are standing around watching one man drive snow plow.
Is it me or is this just a complete waste of money?
Maybe I’m missing something, but it feels like we are getting ripped off a bit.
Next time, city should bring in contractors early or provide melt-a-way for residents to put down on sidewalks near school.
They’re just getting a little practice in for next time.
Actually, someone in the neighborhood responded that they believe this is a group of volunteers (parents) rather than government hired contractors….makes me feel a lot better!!
Probably do pretty much the same things:
Went food shopping Saturday evening. No big lines although YDFM was out of bread except baguettes. Big Kroger was almost empty of people Saturday evening. They either had or were expecting crowds as they had the registers cordonned off.
Shoveled snow on Tuesday afternoon – warmest point in the week. It was a good workout and productive. Since from past experiences our driveway (that spends most of the day in the shade) is one of the last to thaw naturally we decided to take the initiative this time. To ensure traction we also cleared a good portion of our cul de sac as well.
Drive only when we have to – two works round trips for hubby and one drop off at pre-school, marta, pick up playdate round trip for me so far this week.
We will probably acquire a snow shovel to make the shoveling more productive and a plastic sley of our own. The kids got lots of sledding in thanks to kind neighbors.
FYI on salt for deicing and the environment.
http://www.enviroliteracy.org/article.php/709.html
Thanks for sharing this! Please say “NO!” to salt on snow!
Thanks for mentioning this.
I was wondering about that. Thanks
maybe put some bags of salt/sand in every police car’s trunk… that way when they respond to an accident (b/c of an icy spot on the road) they can spread some salt around said icy spot.
Check out the Red Cross website for a great list of emergency supplies that every home should have on hand. I lived in a hurricane prone area for a while and knowing I had enough supplies for me and my pets to live for a week on our own was very comforting.
Next time it snows like this, I’ll just sit around and listen to all the experts proselytize on how to better handle the storm. All the while, sipping on a fermented beverage. So, pretty much the same thing I did this time around. Cheers, Chad.
Ditto
Here’s my list:
1. I bought a snow shovel yesterday and finally cleared off the path to our house and the sidewalk.
2. I will buy a sled for my daughter. We used other folks’ sleds and had a blast. I want to have one for us. Also, I’m going to invest in some snow clothes for the family. Keeping warm is no problem. It’s keeping dry that is a challenge.
3. The problem with this event was two-fold. First, it was a lot of snow/ice for us. Second, we got into this cycle of getting some melting, and then it turning into solid ice. That normally doesn’t happen here, or at least, for such a long time. But it just goes to show you that if you don’t remove the snow/ice in the first 24 hours, you’re screwed. Scott/Ponce wouldn’t have been a problem if it was all removed by Tuesday.
4. With #3 in mind, what the City/County should do is have a pool of contractors prepared to do the work on an ID/IQ basis (Indefinite Duration/Indefinite Quantity). Each fall they can prequalify contractors who can perform the work. Then when it hits, the city/county can order roads cleared on a task order basis.
5. I’m no expert on snow removal. So I may be wrong here. But you don’t have to buy snow trucks/plows to remove snow. Can’t the city/county buy the snow blades that can be attached to the front of its dump trucks, or other suitable vehicle?
6. Another thing. Decatur could purchase snow blades that could be attached to the front of those small trucks that pick up trash or recycling. They could use those to clear the sidewalks on Ponce at least. Those were too treacherous for too long.
Just some thoughts.
Well we already had a stocked ‘frig and pantry but that is life as normal here. Played outside, cooked a lot, drink some good wine, read a book and half, caught up with all the blogs I read and enjoyed daily naps.
The only thing I would do different is get some type of boot chain my northern husband told me would help me with not sliding in my hiking boots.
Hiking / Walking staffs are good for walking in icy conditions – they have them at REI, Wal-Mart, other sporting retailers. Most have a carbon steel ice tip under the rubber tip they usually come with. Can use ‘em for general hiking year round, too. Not just for Kilimanjaro, any more!
1. Have a better supply of alcohol.
2. Have a better supply of Cheetos.
3. Have a better supply of movies (or spring for the emergency subscription to Hulu Plus or Netflix).
4. Clear the small stretch of roadway in front of my house as it gets no. sun. whatsoever.
5. Sit with hubby more in front of the fireplace.
6. Refer to the snow event as SnowSnuggle2011 at all times in all manner of communications (my boss loved this one.)
I plan to wax my cross-country skis so they are all ready for the next 10 years when it snows again. Have already ordered new poles because the baskets on the old ones broke (real old plastic stored in attic cracks with pressure in the extreme cold).
I plan to bring more work home with me so I feel better about “teleworking”.
I plan to just assume school is closed all week rather than going through the every evening emergency arrangements only to find out the next morning that no one is leaving the house, adult or child.
I plan to stock up on milk and bread as I did last Saturday; no lines at Emory Common Publix. Will remember the paper towels and Tylenol next time.
I plan to have more sand and/or salt available so I can sand the tough part of our street myself.
I plan to replace three plastic “sleds” that we’ve managed to crack on all this ice (but are still using nonetheless).
I plan to follow events on Decatur Metro which worked excellently even if we don’t all agree about how to ice-protect Decatur or keep the schools open.
I plan to take pictures. I forgot. Luckily, you all didn’t.
I am currently laying up large amounts of alcohol and I am in the process of downloading the internet in case our connection goes down. This will also work for hurricanes and other natural disasters.
I’ve already ordered yak traks (the heavy duty version) so I can walk to the gym and wherever else without busting it.
We’re getting a sled as soon as they’re back in the stores, but are waiting for snowshoes to go on sale. Seriously.
I will scrape the drive and walkway ASAP after the snow. Maybe the entry to our community too– good exercise.
I will take even more photos!!
And I will, again, leave the cars in the garage!
Definitely going to buy a snow shovel. I cleared my walk the first morning before many people had trudged by so it only took about 20 minutes. Used a garden shovel and then a hoe to obsessively scrape away as much as possible. Stayed clear all week, so it was definitely worth it. I
I like the idea of clearing the street in front of my house. Since we’re near the stop sign, that would have been really helpful and I’m sure neighbors would jump in and help.
I will make sure I lay in bigger supplies of cat food– seems like our two were suddenly ravenous with both of us home! I’ll also keep my hot toddy recipes printed & handy…oh, and ditto everyone above who said buy some road salt!
I will not be buying a snow shovel. This is Atlanta for crissakes. It happens every 15 years. I don’t even have boots and I did ok. I’m glad I live in Decatur so I’m close to the bars.
I am loathe to admit that after over 30 years as a Southerner that I will now be one of those people who run to the store to buy: bread, milk, eggs (yes, clearly – french toast, though we never made that) – also dishwashing soap, TP, tuna and BEER.
I will continue to support Ale Yeah and the Universal Joint when it is snowing and when it is not, because they were our life line.
And I will buy a snow shovel of some sort and a bag of rock salt. Thanks to our neighbor, who shoveled our walk and our sidewalk, reminding me that Decatur is an amazing place to live and that we all have a part in making that so.
1) Seek out opportunities to help those in need. They are always hardest hit – and the most easily forgotten – during extreme weather events. Despite the debatably inadequate response to the event, I suspect all of us reading this blog were blessed with food, clothing, and warm shelter, not to mention all the creature comforts.
2) Get my ultra-resourceful dad to build me one of these. I sent him the pic, and he’s already on the hunt for the parts. http://livingthefrugallife.blogspot.com/2009/01/homemade-sled-report.html
I think the biggest thing we have all learned from the past storm is that the City should have some contingency plans. We have all sorts of plans for how to deal with disasters, right? Should the City not have plans for how to deal with an excessive icing? These plans may involve, among other things, (a) reaching an agreement with local contractors or landscapers that we may hire them if circumstances require it, (b) strategies for planning in advance when the weather forecast is ominous, and (c) minimal, but some, spending on supplies for dealing with winter weather.
After this past storm, our government officials had no plan and did not express any interest in getting creative or proactive. If this is their MO, then I think the City should develop a plan that they can follow in the event of another storm like this (or even smaller).
I will be a little less vigorous with my “snow dance” next time. Sorry about that.
My advice is for everyone to relax & enjoy. We spend so much time worried and stressed instead of enjoying the moment.
Be a kid: go sledding, play, build a snowman.
Build a fire to enjoy with family and friends.
Drink like your on vacation.
Take in the beauty of the snow.
Rent a movie
Have a block party
Why waste all your energy of negativity?
I don’t think that the city can justify the purchase of a snowplow, but I think they might consider equipping some of their existing vehicles with a snowplow capability. I am fairly certain that all of the “big three” truck makers offer that as an option on their heavy duty pickups. Some cities equip their sanitation trucks with plows .. see the following link: http://www.flickr.com/photos/bursaw/3122150898/
Even two or three vehicles so equipped could have made a huge impact if they were deployed early on the morning of the storm… before the snow was reduced to sheets of ice by traffic.
Salt and sand spreaders can also by mounted on many types of trucks… as evidenced by many enterprising entrepeneurs after this last storm. And yes, it may be in Decatur’s interest to stock salt and sand.
As for us as individuals…
(1) Shoveling your sidewalk is a welcome gift to every pedestrian that passes by.. and very much appreciated! Of course, every business should clear the walks adjacent to them.
(2) When driving, dress as though you are going to get stranded.. with warm clothes, gloves and appropriate shoes.
(3) Clean off your car completely before driving to prevent ice chunks from flying off your car.
I’m guilty of that last one. I didn’t even notice the glacier on top of my vehicle roof, I’d gotten so used to it. And then 48 hours after I started driving around, long after I thought everything was in the all-clear, KABAAMMMM!!!! A huge avalanche came down onto my windshield, blocked my view and stopped my wipers for a second, and then went flying off to the side of the road. It was pretty embarrassing.
This all goes to say that even those of us who once had great snow/ice reflexes when living in wintery areas may be a little rusty on our snow/ice skills. So this was a good warm-up since we didn’t even lose power or water which has happened during other winter storms here. I don’t think it’s negative to try to do better next time. And I think we have to understand that not everyone has the luxury of sitting in and enjoying the weather break. Some folks had work requirements (e.g. medical or other essential services), project deadlines, difficult employers, and/or financial pressures that required them to get around the metro area anyway and/or work full-tilt from home.
But nonetheless, there WAS a lot of fun and beauty in the storm and I hope most folks got to enjoy at least a little bit of it. Even today, I noticed that some areas that normally look pretty run-down or raunchy are still kind of quaint all sugar-coated with snow.
Every time it snows, have the city council declare it a Snowdays Festival, and celebrate as only Decatur can.
Excellent!!! Everyone use your shovels for a few hours and then meet at the square for a bonfire, marshmallows, and hot chocolate. Shovel your way to the square and help local businesses stay open.
I ink we shoul all be thankful our power didn’t go out. Previous storms caused power lines to snap when tree branches snapped. I’m going to plan for a power outage next time, just in case. I would have had a hard time with no batteries or candles this week… But had plenty of milk.
Speaking only for myself, I’m buying a plow for my vehicle and will make my own clear path well before the sun and wind are employed (deployed) by the government.
Where do you work? If it’s in the direction of mine, can I follow you there? If you’ll plow, I’ll fling sand out my window behind you.
I work in Tucker, but I’m sure we could work out a deal.
Hadn’t seen this number before about outfitting trucks with plow attachments. Anyone else seen a similar number?… “officials can’t justify spending the $30,000 it costs to outfit each dump truck with snowplow attachments”
I’m not aware of commercial costs, but I’ve found the $1,500 to $2,000 range is what a personal plow for my vehicle would cost. For around here, a light duty plow used appropriately would be fine.
Figuring 5 snow days per year and a 5 year life of a blade, it’ll cost me about $80 per use. ($2,000 ÷ 25 days total) Compare that to lost wages for one week due to road conditions, and it almost makes sense.
In discussing the ‘big snow’ with an American friend who lives in Holland, she explained that the local government there was responsible only for clearing main roads. City dwellers kept large bags of salt and snow shovels. Each family came out and shoveled sidewalks, driveways AND a portion of the street in front of their home. Sounds like a community minded idea (at least for the able bodied.)