Like many of the Mid Atlantic residents this weekend, I got a little snow. It has been a good year for snow, with two big storms, a few small storms, and (supposedly) another moderate storm on the horizon for early next week.
We got 26 inches up here in York, and I understand that Baltimore got over 30. After digging out this morning, I was kind of amazed on how little the storm affected my life. Other then a little exercise, the 26 inches of snow could have been 5.
Back in 2003, Baltimore got crushed by a measly 28 inches of snow in late February, and it brought the city to a standstill for a full week. 6 years later, I am doubting that a similar amount of snow is going to have Loyola even opening late come Monday. What has changed?
Everyone has better communications now. Even my 90 year old grandparents have cell phones, and were able to call to let the power and land line people know when service failed. Clean up and emergency crews are able to respond faster to events taking place in a very dynamic environment. Heavy snow, hills and valleys no longer block the older radio equipment that require a LOS in order to function well.
Also, snow removal and road clearing has been GREATLY aided by GIS and computer mapping technologies. The planners are able to send out the plow trucks in a much more efficient pattern now then thy have been able to do in the past. Even with the county being out of salt and cinders from the previous big storm, my road has had black top showing since the first flakes fell. Considering that where I live the road is not a primary (or even a major secondary, more just a farm maintenance road) that is pretty impressive.
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And yet, Loyola has closed for Monday. Technology is awesome, but it can't melt the ice on my street that makes it so dangerous for me to go to work tomorrow morning. Good thing I work in IT and have the option of working from home. The ability to work remotely I think has done as much for winter safety as the technologies that aid snow removal.
ReplyDeleteThings are a little different down here in Baltimore City. Like Amy, I also worked from home today as the roads through the city were in terrible shape. My boyfriend walked an hour to the gym and will most likely walk an hour to work tomorrow to avoid driving. We'll be walking to the grocery store to stock up before tomorrow's snow storm. We have no garbage pick up all week. I'm sure it would be much worse without the technology to track plows and communicate important info to residents.
ReplyDeleteI don't know. I lived in Baltimore for a decade. I am starting to think that its just inept city planning at this point. York City schools - which had to deal with similar snow fall, opened on Monday, as did Harrisburg schools (but they only got 25 inches...). The annual snowfall for South Central PA and Central MD (from Baltimore to the border) are not that different. All three cities have similar issues of street parking, narrow streets, etc. Yet Baltimore always seems to be "taken by surprise" at any snowfall.
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