From February 5, the U.S. capital of Washington and the Atlantic coast, most regions experienced a rare snowstorm. U.S. National Weather Service said that this was a historic blizzard. Blizzard paralyzed the Washington area caused by, lowered the more than 70 centimeters of snow, which is the U.S. capital, the largest ever in a heavy snow. Led to more than million households without electricity and tens of thousands of people trapped indoors for several days, and has resulted in death, local people described in this hundred years of the blizzard of "doomsday snow." Some U.S. media said that the U.S. capital Washington, DC "was dug up from a historic blizzard." 7, after the snow stopped, the sun made clear Washington was like a small village in the Alps.
The U.S., including eastern Washington, including most parts suffered a rare heavy snowstorm hit. U.S. National Weather Service said the U.S. East Coast, five on the evening ushered in a storm, covering the southern Virginia to New Jersey area, the deepest snow depth of up to 76 cm, along the Washington and Baltimore, the snow conditions are most severe. Bureau of Meteorology warned that this storm is "very dangerous", "will seriously affect the east coast, most areas" until the snow stopped on the 7th; the heavy snow accompanied by strong winds over the last year, in December of that field Blizzard come even worse.
A powerful storm swept across the Atlantic region, several U.S. states, and continued until 6 pm. In Virginia, Maryland, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware parts of the lowering of the 50-100 cm of snow. This has resulted in two deaths in the region. The city workers sweeping the streets Sunday, emergency aid workers attempting to hundreds of thousands of families to resume electricity supply of electricity.
In the Washington area less than two months with two falling snow, which is rare in history. According to the U.S. National Weather Service statistics, in 1870, Washington has only appeared 13 times the amount of more than 30 centimeters of snow situation. U.S. National Weather Service said the biggest snowfall in the history of the Washington area is believed to appear in 1772, snow thickness of 90 cm, founding President George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, third president, are recorded in his diary.
President Obama team twice in distress
United States President Barack Obama to the White House on the 5th near the hotel, to attend the Democratic National Committee meeting to be abandoned out of the presidential limousine on weekdays and replaced a large SUV sitting high vehicle body. The way, accompanied by a fleet of ambulances, as wet snow hit a security vehicle. Obama would open finished, the fleet departed for the White House, a media car was broken Shucha snow pressure down to. Fortunately, the two accidents were near misses, no one was injured. Obama’s return, the White House immediately announced that in the snow to stop before the event Obama will not go out. 6, Obama to video game, "Snow magic" to describe this sudden snowstorm.
The heavy snow sphere of influence extended from Indiana to Pennsylvania, in-depth parts of New York and North Carolina, causing traffic gridlock. Virginia, Maryland and Delaware state government has ordered a state of emergency, the National Guard and various rescue equipment on standby. Local governments have been ready thousands of cars and several thousands of tons of snow melting snow salt trucks ready to start snow removal operations.
Washington closed all schools on the 5th day, government departments and other agencies that day also brought forward the work, meteorological departments are developing emergency programs, the capital and surrounding areas will be closed in all government offices to week 2. Museums and zoos and other public facilities will be closed.
Major airlines canceled the evening of 5 to 6 in the Washington area three flights taking off and landing airports, the National Railroad Passenger Corporation also suspended most of the south of the Washington-bound passenger train, subway trains suspended on the ground, the capital’s bus service on the 6th suspended across the board.
Blizzard led to hundreds of traffic accidents. Virginia fatal accident, a pair of father and son on the highway to assist a driver who was trapped when the storm was passing through a container truck and killed. On the same day, Washington, a snow car caught fire, resulting in a hospital near the fire broke out, dozens of patients who fled to the basement shelter, but fortunately no casualties. West Virginia and Washington power outages, 120,000 people are affected.
Weather officials suggest that visitors canceled travel plans, not the road, note that cold warmth, try to stay indoors. The eastern part of the millions of people were forced to stay home for several days. In response to heavy snowstorms, people have flocked to a nearby supermarket buying goods and melting snow with salt. 41-year-old neighbor Beit listen to advice, 5, 7 am came to communities lived in a supermarket to buy supplies. According to her, said supermarkets were full of long lines, shelf look "like being sacked as before."
People minding only their own government powerless
Permanent Mission of the United States during the writer in 2002, Washington has been the resident has come across in a snowstorm, compared to this time, can be described as pale into insignificance. Is from such a snowstorm in the middle, I realized that the American people, at least the quality of the residents of Washington, DC, is relatively high, is capable of "mind our own business", while the Government’s response is slower , and the powerless.
The winter of 2002, Washington had been to the author’s whole life had seen a heavy snow, from 40 to 50 cm. People’s Daily reporter stations in the United States is located in Northwest Washington, DC, is a wealthy area, basically single-family villa architecture. Snow after the snow out of the surrounding residents, the voice of snow everywhere. However, in the United States of caring not only for the convenience of their own and pedestrians, but also the law. According to municipal regulations, if the snow at three inches below the required clean-up within 24 hours, if more than three inches of snow, the necessary clean-up within 48 hours; and can be cleaned off the sidewalk to walk the width of the need to reach 36 inches. Otherwise, if someone were injured slipping on the sidewalk, it is likely to snow in others, this is not a lawsuit. For those who do not introverted people who have the means to deal with: flyers posted on their doorstep.
First, because the law, and second, the higher people’s consciousness, so each household must be caring individuals, and some residents also hire snow vehicles. News stations there are no car hire costs of snow that year, the snow in front of reporters are on their own to clear it is not an easy task.
2002 is not much snow in winter, but the snow, though snow on the sidewalk clean-up was more timely, but with the exception of a few streets in urban centers, the north-west main streets of snow has piled up for several days, also not seen Government of the arrival of snow vehicles, despite the rising car rolling, resulting in Lumianjiebing, driving people out gall chilling war.
That year the snow and high winds led to roadside tree branches broken, crushed a lot of cars parked in the street. Even worse, the broken branches led to the dumping of high-voltage poles or direct pressure wire, when the media reported that tens of thousands of homes in Washington power. Repair circuit consists of a private power company management, the company’s equipment and maintenance workers are the first lines are good, but very few staff, the level of workers is not high, repair very slow pace, and many complaints from the public and personally rebuked those maintenance workers. Fortunately, the reporters of the district where there is no electricity, but those who suffer power outage area residents. Then "Guangming Daily" reporter station where the district on the power outage for several days, they had to move the fridge things to our correspondents. A WAREHOUSE and non-is that the then U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney’s residence are also blackout zone, also followed Heidengxiahuo for several days, and we have not got someone to give the vice president home repairs.
And from then-President George W. Bush that year took place in New Orleans because of Hurricane Katrina rescue performance, he was 7 days after the disaster scene. He has the right to send troops overseas to fight, but his soldiers were sent to New Orleans, but not hands-on disaster relief and just stand sentry, maintain law and order. The reason is that the military "have no right to intervene in local affairs", the result is failure to maintain good security, disaster relief has been slow. Recognized worldwide, the United States Hurricane Katrina relief in New Orleans simply can not and the Chinese government, compared Wenchuan earthquake relief. From the author of the snowstorm that the size of the market did not experience point of view, the U.S. government the ability of social organization is not to be commended.