Here in the midwest, we experienced the 3rd largest blizzard in history. Going down in the record books, it remains one of those you will always remember. Having lived through 3 other blizzards in my own life, I know these snows pack a punch.
The local news stations carried live broadcasts all morning long. The Weather Channel‘s Jim Cantore filmed live on location. It was definitely newsworthy. So why all the media? Why carry live broadcasts around the area interviewing citizens as they plowed out driveways? Are we so eager to see what others are doing to see how we can compare?
Hundreds of motorists were stranded on Lake Shore Drive, many for 10-12 hours. A parking lot on a major roadway, with no place to escape, just plain stuck. White-out conditions and several accidents on the road caused traffic to stop. Then there was a tragedy. One elderly man was found dead. In his attempt to leave his vehicle, he wandered off the path and the waves of Lake Michigan swept him in. A terrible tragedy and just as sad.
The snow storm caused major interstates to close down, all schools and a majority of businesses had to shut down. It was record-breaking, that’s for sure. It was radical and that is true, but it is the camaraderie of the people who will heal this city.
Neighbors came out to help. Stranded motorists rescued by local people, by tow truckers, by police, and fireman. We forget about that. We are too busy counting the snowflakes. Too busy grandstanding on how much snow each of us received.
Those heroes that supplied help when it was necessary. Those firemen who rode snowmobiles to rescue stranded motorists are the ones we should remember.
In the record books, when we are counting the amount of snow that fell, why not count the number of brave people who provided help.
The ones who put their lives on the line, for us, every day.
Here are the photo galleries – Chicago Sun-Times. Remember those heroes of today, and salute to honor them.
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- Chicago Hospitals Were Prepared For Blizzard (huffingtonpost.com)
FaithDream's Inspiration 
I can not understand for the need for camera crews to go to disaster areas and thrust the cameras in peoples faces and ask stupid questions.
As for weather I also can’t understand why, when the weather men say ” Dont travel unless absolutely necessary they send camera crews…crazy. 🙂
Posted by Piglet in Portugal | February 3, 11:25 amI agree. I wonder if they ask stupid questions because they don’t know what to ask. I think the reporters are trying to their jobs but I also think they want that “big” story. They want to be part of it, capture it, and report it. I think, in my opinion anyway, they live for that. The real news is in the heroes. That is what I would want to hear about.
Thanks for your comments.
Posted by faithdream | February 3, 12:28 pm