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Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Midwest Edition: Where were you in the Blizzard of '67?

As Chicago braces for the Blizzard of 2011, I am reminded how communities came together during the Blizzard of 1967. Entire blocks of neighbors helped neighbors, sharing what they had, shoveling for those who could not shovel for themselves.

Now that I'm a mom instead of an eighth grader, my focus has shifted from "Yippee, no school, bring on more snow" to worry and attempts to pass on cautionary blizzard wisdom to young adult sons who still believe they know it all.

As an eighth grader during the blizzard of '67, I remember roads being completely closed because the plows could not keep up with the drifting snow. Our family used a sled to trek to the grocery store for milk and bread. My siblings and I shoveled snow for the widow next door. I think the blizzard started on a Thursday, but it took so long to clear the streets that businesses and schools did not open until the following Tuesday. Although the blizzard came in January, vestiges of the piles of dirty snow remained until March or maybe even early April.

I have heard many blizzard stories over the years of how emergency personnel, sleeping on cots in hospitals (both because they could not get home and new shifts could not get to the hospitals) still managed to find ways to pick up dialysis patients who needed hospital treatment.

Do you have survival tips to pass on to those who are blizzard newbies? Do you have a blizzard story (past or present) to share? If you email me at WinnetkaCommons@jeannebeckman.com, I will try to post your stories as I am able.

1 comment:

  1. From a dear friend Jim Nuttall:
    Hi Jeanne: I was in college at Valparaiso U in '67. The snow was over
    the tops of the cars. Final exams were cancelled. It took 2 weeks for
    classes to get going again.
    Jim Nuttall

    ReplyDelete