*** Paul Piorek is editor and publisher of Paul's Local Weather Journal for southwestern Connecticut ... Paul is the on-air meteorologist at WICC 600 AM and 107.3 FM ... Paul is a New York Emmy award winner (2007), five-time Emmy nominee, and four-time winner of the Connecticut Associated Press Broadcasters' Association award for Best TV Weathercast (2006, 2008, 2009, 2012) ... Paul was voted Best Local Television Personality by the readers of Fairfield County Weekly Magazine (2012) ... Paul was inducted into the Housatonic Community College Hall of Fame and received the Distinguished Alumni Award (2012) ... The local weather journal is a two-time winner of the Communicator Award of Distinction (2012 & 2013) ... Paul is currently a full-time teacher of Earth Science and Mathematics in Fairfield ... Follow Paul on Twitter @PaulPiorekWICC ...

Wednesday, February 13, 2013

Comparing the Consequences of the Blizzard of 1978 to the Blizzard of 2013

The blizzards of 1978 and 2013 were historic events which will be remembered by everyone who experienced them. I clearly remember the February blizzard in 1978 when I was a young radio announcer at WNAB in Bridgeport. I was the overnight host and was stranded at the radio station for two days. By contrast, this year, I think the public was much better-prepared for the blizzard due to advanced warnings and ample preparation time.

Although the recent blizzard delivered much more snow to my hometown, the blizzard of 1978 was a far more crippling storm. The blizzard of 1978 brought high-speed winds and 33 straight hours of snowfall, accumulating to almost two feet of snow in Fairfield and the rest of the Northeast. Last Friday’s storm buried Fairfield in 35 inches of snow by Saturday morning, according to the National Weather Service. By the time the storm arrived Friday morning, most schools had closed and businesses were shutting down early. People were well-prepared and safely arrived at their destinations well before the peak of the storm.

However, 35 years ago, the blizzard hit on a Monday and Tuesday, and the overall impact was much more serious. The dire forecast was deemed unlikely by much of the skeptical public since its arrival was late. Many people went to work and found it almost impossible to get home. The blizzard of 1978 was much more than a paralyzing inconvenience. Ninety-nine people died. Fatalities can happen in any ­disaster, but it is important to learn how and why they happened and then apply the lessons learned to the next storm.

The 1978 blizzard has been studied for decades to determine whether those 99 deaths could have been prevented. Many of the victims were overcome by carbon monoxide poisoning while waiting in their stranded cars. David Stackpole, a police officer at Groton Long Point, said that people "had less warning, and more people/cars (got) stuck. We were isolated a lot longer."

Stackpole added, "So I still feel that although we had less snow (in 1978) than this year, it was more of a crippler for the region in 1978. This year we had tons of warning, and people were prepared. In 1978, we didn't know much, except it was going to snow maybe five inches or so, but no biggie, we thought."

.

Further, we didn't have the technology to easily communicate with family, friends, and neighbors 35 years ago. If someone was stranded, it was almost impossible to get help. Nobody had cell phones, the Internet did not exist, and pay phones were the only outlet on the street. People felt isolated and, ultimately, helpless and more fearful.

As a result, I believe the blizzard of 1978 was more deadly and more paralyzing than this year's blizzard. Unfortunately, many streets across the region still remain unplowed as of this morning, and one gentleman in Bridgeport died from an asthma attack when an ambulance couldn't make it through the snow in time to save him. But, when comparing the two historic blizzards, the consequences were much greater in 1978.

Paul