Better to overreact or under prepare?
The US National Weather Service (NWS) admitted last week that its forecast was wrong on the “potentially historic blizzard” which was supposed to hit New York City. Downgraded to a simple “winter storm,” New Yorkers looked outside expecting a crippling three feet of snow, but were greeted with one.
The blizzard, which was supposed to strike much of the Northeastern U.S., did pile deep in certain areas – such as Conneticut and Massachusetts. Others, such as New York City and Philadelphia, however, were not as badly affected.
Meteorologists were deeply apologetic in their miscalculation, using social media to announce their apology to those officials who had based their snow preparation plans on their information.
“My deepest apologies to many key decision makers and so many members of the general public,” Gary Szatkowski, a member of the National Weather Service’s department in Mount Holly, N.J., posted on Twitter.
Everyone makes mistakes, though, right? Nevertheless, complaints have been made about the actions taken by officials to get ready for the snow. In preparation for the storm, over 7,700 flights in and out of the Northeastern US were cancelled, as many expected the brunt of the storm to hit in the morning. Schools were closed and cities were effectively shut down. Some argue that the shutdowns, especially those restrictions put in place in New York were, in retrospect, overkill.
New York City mayor Bill de Blasio denied, however, that he overacted.
“Would you rather be prepared or unprepared? Would you rather be safe or unsafe?” de Blasio remarked.
The question is an interesting one to consider. While some amused individuals did wander outside to play in the snow, others were not so easily appeased. In New York in particular, one of the large points of controversy was officials’ decision to issue a total shutdown for their 110-year-old subway system. Though no immediate or accurate estimates are available, questions are being raised on how much money the New York government did spent in preparation for the blizzard. Other cities faced their own issues due to the forecast.
In Massachusetts, the forecasted snow led to the postponement of proceedings in the scheduled Monday morning trial of ex-New England Patriots star Aaron Hernandez. In Chicago, the streets were hit with heavy snow this past Sunday as the storm continued to trek across the U.S. Midwest, dumping more than 30 centimeters of snow before heading on to New England. The snowfall led to the closure of schools throughout the Midwestern and Mideastern U.S. In Champaign, Illinois, 68 homes were evacuated when a tanker truck overturned, and the storm knocked out power to nearly 20,000 customers. Canada did not escape effects of the severe winter storm, as last Monday more than 30 flights were cancelled on the departure board at Pearson.
The bitter cold is believed to continue across the US—and it chose an especially bad time to come, as Super Bowl Sunday saw reduced visibility and treacherous driving conditions. With Canada facing its own snowfalls, this would be a good time to remember to have an emergency kit handy in the car, just in case, with a blanket, flashlight, warm clothing, and other provisions.