Monday, February 11, 2008

Cold, just COLD

It is CRAZY cold around here. Last night on it was 10 degrees on teh car temp guage...and that doesn't factor in wind chill. The news said it was minus 20! It feels like every crack in our house is pouring in cold air. Brrrrrr Every single school in the county is closed today. I'm surprised the gang would even go out to the bathroom this morning! I'm pretty sure the only ones loving this weather are the utility stockholders.

There was also a horrible accident here on the expressway yesterday afternoon, 36 cars, 3 lanes littered with cars the length of a football field. 25 were injured and one young lady died. It even made CNN. White out conditions..which for you non snow people means...it can not even be snowing, but the wind and gusts cause snow to blow so hard across the roadways that can't see. Really CAN NOT see. If you have never driven in something like this it is extremely scarey. Your driving along and then whiteness..pure whiteness. They say to slow down and try to proceed with caution, but it only takes one car stopping and and horror like yesterday. I'm sure the people that were involved will never forget this day....never.
I was in an accident much like this when I was 21. Christmas Day returning home from skiing and suddenly cars ahead can't see and STOP...chain reaction hitting, which I was the third in line. I spun around and was facing the oncoming traffic and couldn't believe no one hit me! Within the next few minutes there were 11 accidents in a one mile stretch. Not sure how many cars were involved, but my accident was somewhere in the middle of it all. No one was killed or injured, but it took a long time to clear the way to remove the cars. While the police were talking with us a woman and her husband traveling in the other direction, ran out of gas. They walked across the x-way median to speak with the police. The officer told them to hold on for just a minute as they were trying to get us out of the area. The woman got mad and stormed off to go back to her car and got RUN OVER! We were standing not 20 feet from her and she got killed. It was horrible. After that a car driving by us tore off the police car's passenger door that was open...that was it...they put me in a police car and said they were dropping me off somewhere safe. It was unbelievable. I can't believe I ever drove again, or even got in a car. I still "white-knuckle" drive and every time I go on that part of the x-way, think about that lady who just couldn't wait...




8 comments:

Leah said...

Ugh, we know about white out conditions. It does happen here, but the worst I have ever experienced were on the plains of Northeast New Mexico and the panhandle of Texas. VERY scary!

Goodboy Norman Featherstone said...

Oh, that's just awful. I'm so sorry that it's that cold up there. Yuck! I'm also sorry to hear about all those accidents.

Pam said...

How tragic! I can't imagine having to witness that lady being hit.
I heard about that pile up this morning. We occasionall yget stuff like that but it's fog-related.
Stay warm!

Page said...

I did hear about that pile up on the news....so glad you did not have to go out in it! That is so awful about that lady being hit and you seeing it all...I've never been in a snowy situation, so I can't relate very much but it sounds horrible.

The Devil Dog said...

Wow, that is quite a story. Mom is amazed you didn't have nightmares for ages after that. Are the schools closed because of the cold? The boy went to school today. They did not stay outside until the bell rang but went directly in.
Do stay warm.

Roxy

Sandy said...

That is so terrible. and having witnessed it is so terrible. I freak out in fog and heavy rain and try to make it to an exit before I stop. I can't imagine being stuck in the freezing cold up there out on the road for hours.

I will be wanting your wonderful summers while we are burning up this summer here. But I wish you could have some of the weather we've been having just so you could get a break from that cold air and snow.

Magnolia Sun said...

Horrible car crash. I'm so sorry it's so cold I wish I could send you some of our sunny skies to melt that snow.

Frances Louise said...

We feel for you about that cold. What a terrible experience you had with that car accident! Just thinking about something like that gives Mommy the goosebumps!

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