Lots of buzz about the upcoming snowstorm forecast for later this week. Most of us don’t want it and are hoping for cancellations/snow days, or that something shifts and the white stuff misses completely. There is always, however, someone hoping for maximum snowfall and cheering on a big storm because they think snow is cool, despite the risk of danger that it brings. Here are some fun facts for all of the snow-lovers out there:
- At least 12 deaths (so far) can be directly attributed to the snowstorm that hit the Northeast U.S. last week. Hundreds of people die from winter weather-related crashes each year, along with exposure, over-exertion, or even fire-related deaths as a result of improper use of portable heaters.
- Almost 600,000 people are still without power along the Northeast coast right now. Families are looking for alternate places to stay or figuring out how to survive sub-freezing temperatures without heat.
- Annually, snow alone causes hundreds of thousands of dollars of property damage. Your vehicle is wrecked, your home suffers water damage, a weighed down branch falls on your car, or your house, or one of your family members.
Some people don’t have the luxury of sitting inside and doing nothing while 2 feet of snow piles up around us. Most of us have jobs that DON’T cancel during/after a snowstorm, and a lot of people miss parts of their paychecks or risk losing their jobs or being reprimanded for it if they “call in” due to bad weather. We dig out and take the risk, or we worry about loved ones that did. Many of us end up missing work anyway because we’d rather be shorted a few bucks than die, but the fact is if you have a responsibility to be there, being gone a few days just because some snow hit the ground isn’t usually a realistic option.
In short, being armed with this (what I feel is common) knowledge, doesn’t hoping for a snowstorm seem like almost the dumbest train of thought one could possibly conjure up? Have you no one to be concerned for if their power goes out for days or if they’re trying to safely make it home to their families?
Sincerely,
Someone who bets that no one from the Philippines has ever uttered the words “I love tsunamis.”