Dec.22, 2022 - A weather event is striking the USA just before Christmas, the likes which not been seen for over 40 years.
The anomaly is expected to see a dramatic temperature drop to near zero, with much of the country expecting snowfall, high winds and slick roads.
The once in a generation storm will cripple much on America, power outages expected in several state.
The 1978 weather event is among five major incidents in my long lifetime.
On January 20, 1978, the biggest snow storm to ever hit West Virginia shut down the state for days. This incredible storm is still referred to as "The Great Blizzard of '78."
The sudden changes in weather annonced by clapping thunder.
I owned a funeral home in Weston, West Virginia. A deep snow had fallen on Lewis County and then the winter temperature had risen to about 70 degrees, melting the snow and creating severe flooding, with water about three feet deep on our nearby streets.
Dianne and I were watching local cable TV, with a TV camera scanning across weather instruments. The barometer scanned by and the needle on the barometer suddenly dropped against the pin, bending and fluttering, the temperature then plunging to 10 degrees.
We had a discussion about what could be wrong. Our question was shortly answered as high winds swept across the town, suddenly blowing the door down to our residence.
The flood waters, backwater from the main river started freezing, ice about four inches thick.
The two story funeral home had a hot water steam heating system, submerged and knocked out by water that filled the basement, later with water pipes freezing and breaking.
I was a member of the Weston Volnteer Fire Department, which was behind the funeral home. I responded with them for several days. Dianne and I huddled under piles of blankets with our dog Sabrina.
At least two houses caught on fire and the pumper truck lodged itself in a nearby alley, to be frozen into the ice. Another house down the street caught on fire and burned. We reached the house in a paddle boat with some hose and somehow managed to attach the hose to a hydrant. How I don't know. I have photos of the event.
Volunteers worked around the clock for several days, the disaster slowly calming itself as things returned to normal.
