Deadly Ice storm turns Atlanta into frozen tundra

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4HWlTkaIKyI

That's a commute in Minneapolis.  The freeway is still backed up in the snow.  Not like Atlanta...

People plan ahead for the snow here so they'll leave early for their commute or just work from home.  And we have an enormous plow fleet that keeps the roads clear.

Worst case scenario for Minneapolis is when an unexpected snow falls in the hours before and during the evening rush hour.

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All I can say is try biking in that kind of weather... x10 (including ice... it's not for the faint of heart, I must admit)

Anyways, interesting map I found on facebook, posted by forum member the506:

 

I'm assuming that's the map of how much snow it takes to cancel school.  It does not factor in wind or cold temperatures.

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I realize that it's poor form to laugh at other peoples' misery, but the simple fact is that you can't just can't rationalize Atlanta's insane response and utter seizing-up at two inches of snow by saying it's not the sort of weather they normally need to prepare for.  The fact of the matter is that Atlanta has built itself in such a way as to be non-resilient in the face of, really, any adversity, and has done so for shall we say less than noble reasons.

So, I'm sorry for all your suffering down there- but your region needs to own up to the fact that a lot of these wounds were self-inflicted.

1. It was ice, not snow, which makes a major difference, yet most people in this thread keep saying snow instead of ice.

2. With most natural disasters, you can make some kind of argument that they were self-inflicted.  Tornadoes don't have to destroy houses; they do because people weigh the costs and balances between the risk and spending the money to make a whole house out of the same material you do a safe room.  The disasters of Hurricane Katrina could've been avoided if New Orleans hadn't built its city below sea level.  The disasters of Hurricane Sandy could have been avoided with better construction.  The fact of the matter is that you can't just say that Atlanta should've had the ice mitigation techniques that municipalities in the north have.  This would require fleets of trucks, salt storage, and other materials that are not cost effective.

I think TitD is referring to the fact that Atlanta is one of the most sprawling, auto-dependent metros in the country.

That was part of it, but he kinda mixed a whole bunch of reasons together, most of which aren't really that valid when you think about them.

The problem in Atlanta was poor planning and development.  Had Atlanta been a dense city like New York City, there wouldn't be a problem.  Why?  Everyone would've caught the subway home... or just walked.

Instead the snow showed up early and everyone freaked out and got in the car and got on the freeway and created a classic gridlock.

I couldn't care less about the friction ratio of ice vs. packed snow. 

TitD is the guy who says "man these Krispy Kremes are great... they must use magic to taste so good!  Or just delicious fat."

And you're like

"Well, um... actually they used 150 grams of flour in each donut and when you study the reaction of yeast, salt, and complex starches and sugars it creates a distinct flav.. blah blah blah blah blah"

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Sorry, South. Yes, it's sad people got stuck in their cars and schools, born on the highway, etc. BUT, the fact is these results over TWO INCHES OF SNOW AND A DUSTING OF ICE is absurd. The comparisons over heat or hurricaines: The north and east experience both without falling apart or suffering fatalities any worse than dear ol' Dixie.

This reaction to two inches of snow and a little ice is akin to the north calling a "heat advisory" for it getting over 85. Northerners aren't bemused at kids being stranded in school or on the highway, but because from our perspective Atlanta's "crisis" could've been solved by 50 midwestern bus drivers.

...  AGAIN, the South is hit by storms more powerful than Sandy (a category 1 hurricane) several times most years.  For example, Hurricane Isaac, another category 1 hurricane earlier that same year, hit Louisiana but did less than 5% of the economic $ damage.  You really think the comparison to hurricanes isn't valid?

And yet, despite all that, the South just pitched in to help NY and NJ, instead of mocking those areas for not being as well-prepared for hurricanes.  You didn't see a single post on this forum saying "LOL stupid North it was just a category 1!!!!"

Actually the South, rather than pitching in, voted against Sandy aid.  Don't you remember that?

It's a bit rich to have you trying to school northerners on generosity when the flow of money is and always has been from us to you.

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Nobody disputes that the South gets more in federal funding than it gives, but when you look at private charity donations, the South always leads the way, and that's not even adjusting for the lower per capita incomes.

Private charity donations includes church donations, and no one would deny that the South has higher church attendance than the northeast and much (not all) of the west. But there isn't always a clear line from making donations to a religious group and literally helping people in need vs. supporting building maintenance, mission trips overseas, etc. 

We help people in need by electing politicians who make it their job to ensure the needy are looked after.  What is more humble?  Writing a check to the church?  Or paying taxes so that someone you will never know will receive the help they need?

Harry:  I don't doubt the south is filled with many wonderful people.  I have family down there... they're wonderful people and so are the people they know.

They still have crappy political views and don't know how to deal with snow.