Lots of people complain about the weather around here. It is November on the East Coast, and as per tradition, I have been saying for a few weeks now what weird and unseasonably warm weather we've been having; several days reaching temperatures in the double digits (November 7, 8 and 9 all had daily highs of 14C here in the city). Last Saturday and Sunday found us battling sheets of rain, whipping around in hurricane-strength winds (120 km/hour in some spots). The high wind + cold rain continued for a few days, but as of yesterday morning, the weather station on the local radio was calling for a stop to precipitation by noon. All this to say that since it was 14C not too long ago, and the weather reports were calling for no precipitation, there was no preparation for the freaking blizzard that tore through here yesterday.
This will be my third winter here in Nova Scotia, and by a mind-boggingly moronic combination of unreliable weather forecasts, unprepared municipal workers (in particular salt trucks and snow plows) and a private-run power company that favors executive bonuses over maintenance, this is the second time the city has come to a complete halt at the sign of five inches of blowing snow. FIVE INCHES! That's fucking nothing. In Hometown, we have had storms that cover our first floor entrances entirely so that upon opening your door, you are met with a wall of packed snow. (I have a picture somewhere, I'll dig it out once I get home). We knew it was coming, we prepared with food and candles, and stayed the fuck off the roads. Oh, and we had a provincially-run power company that keeps their shit together instead of blaming salt spray or raccoons for crumbling infrastructure.
A blizzard out of nowhere means people were leaving work all at the same time (instead of trickling out of downtown cores slowly), clogging (or entirely blocking) highways with cars moving 50 km/hour. (because why get winter tires yet?? It was 14C ten days ago!!) People stranded on the Cobequid Pass all night in cold cars because no one bothered to salt the hills (or plow the snow) in advance and it became an impasse containing over one thousand vehicles. I presume in an attempt to save money. School closures and power outages all over the city, as is the norm since the privately owned Nova Scotia Power Company took control of supplying electricity to the residents of NS in the mid-nineties. They run it so well, dontcha know. The poor in this city must pay for increased service rates (around 10% per year the last few years) as well as over-inflated executive earnings (estimated at 41% above industry standards) while dealing with lost service every time the wind picks up.
So last night was interesting, as it was my first time 1) driving home on our snowy, slippery rural road in the dark. At least it looked peaceful. 2) arriving to an electricity-free home, previously functioning on a well and pump. ie no running water & no flushing toilets. Luckily husband is somewhat used to the procedure, as he grew up in the country, but he started out with "but when we were expecting a storm, mom would always fill water bottles and pots on the stove..." Expecting, eh?? That would be nice, you know, to be warned ahead of time. But apparently in Nova Scotia, storms develop instantly and without warning. So you are shit out of luck when the power goes out. Literally.
No comments:
Post a Comment