Winter storm Jonas was one for the record books, and it will make for great stories in later years when folks talk about the Blizzard of ’16.
Of course, for now the remnants of the storm remain a significant problem for most West Virginians as we struggle to move the snow and reopen schools and businesses, all while fantasizing about what it must be like to live where winter is just a slightly cooler version of summer.
But these kinds of storms also bring out our best. The normal daily distractions and petty annoyances give way to the overwhelming desire to rise to the challenge and resolve to do what needs to be done, whether that’s digging out a friend or neighbor, pulling a stranger’s car out of a ditch, or just making the extra effort to get to work.
All across the state, folks are pitching in and carrying forward.
Our often-maligned state highway department deserves our deep appreciation. Crews have worked non-stop since last Friday clearing the roads. Their efforts, combined with a break in the weather, contributed to a stunning improvement in the main roads from Saturday to Sunday.
Transportation Secretary Paul Mattox is asking for patience from those who live on back roads. The DOH still has a gigantic challenge as plow trucks and graders now focus on more than 24,000 miles of winding and narrow secondary roads.
Across the state, first responders formed the first line of defense to the mammoth storm, providing a lifeline to people and communities cut off by the record snowfall. No doubt some of the county Homeland Security and Emergency Management staff never left their posts.
The storm could have been much worse. Fortunately, the snow was not as wet or heavy as it could have been, and that has kept power outages to a minimum. This snow combined with tens of thousands of power outages would have been a major disaster.
We also had the blessing of plenty of advance warning. West Virginians had time to plan for the worst, and they did. Most people stayed off the roads, making it easier for DOH crews, private contractors and anyone with a pickup and scraper to do their jobs. You could almost smell the steaming pots of vegetable soup in kitchens as folks hunkered down for the duration of the storm.
West Virginia has many challenges, and sometimes we can be our own worst enemy, but collectively we have a good heart and an innate understanding of what needs to be done in times of crisis. We have pulled together during the response, and that should serve as a hopeful reminder of what President Abraham Lincoln called, “The better angels of our nature.”