Oh my God!!! It's time to panic!!!!

[3boymthr]

As PP mentioned it does come from the Blizzard of '78 when not only people but stores ran out of bread and milk and just about everything else. A big thing to remember about that storm was that it was only predicted that it would snow less than a foot. Then the snow kept coming and coming and coming for several days and a bunch of people died as they became trapped in the snow - I think almost 100 in all.

There was a state of emergency. No one was allowed to drive for almost a week.

In terms of natural disasters it was pretty bad - mostly because no one saw it coming.

In my town we hit the jackpot with the most snow in the state. I remember distinctly that before the plows came thru which was well over a week BTW - that the snow literally was all the way over the street signs. We had no power for 10 days - so no heat - the temp in our house got down to 45 degrees- no way to cook food so bread and milk was a necessity - and there wasn't any to be had at the store.

It was scary and people remember it and so they panic when they here a big storm is coming.

I think the naming of storms is silly though.

 

[ctinct]

I had not heard that they named the storm, NBC news was actually making fun of the hype last night. The weather guy was like Oh no! It's the storm of the century!!!!! Just kidding..it's could be the biggest one of the season though.

I am in the same state as the OP and it is just one station that I know of (the CBS affiliate, WFSB), that names the storm. They actually boast about it, as in "we are the only station that names the winter storms for you"---it's kind of funny, actually.

 

[mbswats]

Where do you live? I'm in Irwin, just off the turnpike, between Monroeville and Greensburg.

I live in Monroeville - dh is out in the driveway with the snowblower right now. That item was definitely a worthwhile investment!

 

[C.Ann]

As PP mentioned it does come from the Blizzard of '78 when not only people but stores ran out of bread and milk and just about everything else. A big thing to remember about that storm was that it was only predicted that it would snow less than a foot. Then the snow kept coming and coming and coming for several days and a bunch of people died as they became trapped in the snow - I think almost 100 in all.

There was a state of emergency. No one was allowed to drive for almost a week.

In terms of natural disasters it was pretty bad - mostly because no one saw it coming.

In my town we hit the jackpot with the most snow in the state. I remember distinctly that before the plows came thru which was well over a week BTW - that the snow literally was all the way over the street signs. We had no power for 10 days - so no heat - the temp in our house got down to 45 degrees- no way to cook food so bread and milk was a necessity - and there wasn't any to be had at the store.

It was scary and people remember it and so they panic when they here a big storm is coming.
.

Not just the storm of '78 that causes people to react like this.. I have lived in the northeast for 60 years and there have been quite a few times when everything literally shut down - no power for a week or more - and only emergency vehicles allowed on the roads.. Two that I remember vividly: a massive ice storm the first week in October back in the late 80's I think.. No power for us for over a week - other areas 2 weeks plus.. Nothing open - and if it was, you weren't allowed to drive because there were so many trees and power lines down.. Then there was a blizzard one April - '93, I think.. Was supposed to be a couple of inches - no big deal - turned into over 2 feet.. No one allowed on the roads for days..

Remember - the weather is fickle - and the weathermen are not always that accurate.. If you prepare ahead of time, people call it "panic" - if you don't prepare ahead of time, there's always someone more than happy to get right up in your face and tell you how "stupid" you are for not preparing ahead of time.. It's a no-win situation..

I would rather be prepared than have a 2" snowstorm turn into 3 feet of snow instead - and all of a sudden you're stuck wherever you are for days on end..

Blame it on my mother - and living in the northeast all my life: "An ounce of protection is worth a pound of cure.." - or better yet, "Poor planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part.."

Wherever you are, stay safe - and good luck!

 

[karensi]

I don't get it either.
What I really don't understand is the people who run out and stock up on food, as if they are going to be snowed in for a week or something.
I live in NY (Staten Island) and even in a REALLY BIG snow storm, the plows are usually out the very next day clearing all the main roads and the secondary roads are cleared by the following day.
Why would you need to get loads of milk, bread, eggs, etc? People usually don't go food shopping every day, so what if you're snowed in for one (or even 2 ) days?

Anyway, all the channels on tv, last night were talking about the "storm of the century"....so far we have no more that a few inches...2 or 3 maybe.

I think they just want to make sure you keep tuned in to their station to hear the updates

Karen

 

[Micca]

I guess people think if they have fresh milk, eggs, and bread they won't have to go buy that stuff while the streets are bad from the storm.

 

[Disney Doll]

Did you ever notice that everyone buys bread and milk, but no one ever buys egss and syrup, so how are they going to make French Toast?

 

[mikehn]

I really do not understand peoples obsessions with bread, milk, and TP, during a storm. There are a hundred other more important necessities, if you ask me.

 

[monkey68]

I really do not understand peoples obsessions with bread, milk, and TP, during a storm. There are a hundred other more important necessities, if you ask me.

Have you ever been stuck at home with 1 bathroom and no toilet paper??? If you ask me, that's the most important thing to have. When I went to Dominican Republic, my friend and I both got incredibly sick, either with food poisoning or some sort of virus, and we ran out of TP, had to call the front desk and ask for more TP. Not fun. So when I'm home, I make sure there are always at least 5 extra rolls around, in case I'm ever stuck at home. You never know.

 

[fireman17]

As I originally posted about the panic people get in when it's going to snow boy was I so right. Let me give you the scene. I had to take my daughter to guitar lessons and while she was there decide to run over to the store to grab a couple of items I needed to make dinner.
DUH!!!! What was I thinking it was like being ay wrestlemania I was waiting for the throwdowns to begin at anytime. I got the items I needed and looked at the other carts and couldn't get over what people had. When I started to check out the cashier says to me " you know it's going to snow do you need more than that"? I said nope cause I'm sure after it snows and the roads are plowed I'll be back because you'll be open.
It's now Sunday morning there's at least eight inches on the ground and more coming, I'm drinking my coffee waiting for the kids to wake up and then it's a pancake breakfast.
After that we are going outside, shoveling the driveway and then we're building a snowman and we have a brand new Mickey Mouse snowman kit to decorate it with.
We'll have the best snowman on the block!!!

 

[Mouseteacher]

I call the supermarket panic the Boston Blizzard of '78 Syndrome. It's been 31 years since Boston endured that blizzard and we haven't had one of that magnitude since. Obviously, the memory lingers even if you weren't here in 1978.

 

[Boo'sMom]

Quick, get to the stores. Empty the shelves of milk and bread we don't know how long it will last. How will we survive?

Heck, I'm making sure the beer fridge is stocked if I'm going to be snowed in with 2 teenage girls and a 6 year old!!

the three staples of any New England snowstorm...bread, milk and beer.

Toilet paper would be an optional 4th

 

[ajk912]

I call the supermarket panic the Boston Blizzard of '78 Syndrome. It's been 31 years since Boston endured that blizzard and we haven't had one of that magnitude since. Obviously, the memory lingers even if you weren't here in 1978.

lololololololol isn't the truth!! I was born in 1978 and I hear about that storm at least once a year from my ILs. That and the Johnstown Flood. (PA)

 

[Darsa]

I call the supermarket panic the Boston Blizzard of '78 Syndrome. It's been 31 years since Boston endured that blizzard and we haven't had one of that magnitude since. Obviously, the memory lingers even if you weren't here in 1978.

I was almost 8 years old when this happened; I still sometimes come across the pictures and still go "wow!" over the size of the plowed snowbanks.

 

[apirateslifeforme]

Heck, I'm making sure the beer fridge is stocked if I'm going to be snowed in with 2 teenage girls and a 6 year old!!

the three staples of any New England snowstorm...bread, milk and beer.

Toilet paper would be an optional 4th

My DBF lives in Agawam, MA, right next door to a liquor store. He is always extremely amused by the number of people coming out with multiple cases of beer on rolling carts when a storm is predicted!

TP I understand. I will not go without my TP. Milk, bread...eh, we've got other things. If it came down to it, I can survive for a week on something else.

 

[Becky2005]

I call the supermarket panic the Boston Blizzard of '78 Syndrome. .

I think that was a Blizzard all over. I was 10 during it but apparently blocked it completely out. I do know it *HAD* to be bad though because according to my mom we got a week off of school for snow days & I know around here -- they do NOT call off school for one day until the very last second they can keep it open -- to close a full week for snow...YIKES.

I do also know for a fact that is when they started putting flags on the fire hydrants -- now for some odd reason I do remember that -- those were never on fire hydrants but now when winter rolls around, these long flags get attached to fire hydrants so they can FIND them under the snow. I'm assuming that's what they are for since they only show up in the winter and disappear back off of them in the spring.

EVERYTHING gets compared to that blizzard...I think even my kids have heard about it.

 

[luvmarypoppins]

Well I am glad I had ds take me to the store on friday afternoon. We were pretty much like Old Mother Hubbards Cupboard since dh and I just got back from Disney and left 3 young adult ds at home. My cart was full, good thing, since we got a whopping 24 inches, broke the record snowfall/blizzard. her on Long Island. Ds just took some of our milk over his girlfriends. Her parents are stuck in FLorida and cant get home yet.