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Post by spectator on Feb 25, 2015 10:35:45 GMT -5
For days we've seen weather reports predicting snow with possible accumulations up to 6 inches depending on where you are - all predicted to start between noon and 2 today. Governor Deal pre-emptively issued a state of emergency yesterday to go into effect today around 1pm. He's also ordered government agencies to close at noon. On the surface, it'd look like he learned his lesson from last year's ClusterFlake.
BUT - for agencies to close at noon, they have to be open right now. Meaning people are at work. And it's a safe assumption to make that other non government employers are also open today but may close around noon to let people get home. Did I mention that this snow we've known about for days is expected to hit between noon and 2? Right as all those people are getting in their cars to go home to beat the snow? And the one big lesson (or joke to the rest of the world) that we learned last year is that a lot of people getting on the roads right as snow starts is a bad bad bad bad idea. And yet, our esteemed (cough cough) governor has all but ensured it's going to happen again.
The only reason I'm finding this ironically hilarious right now is that schools are closed and my husband is home so no trekking to get the kid or spouse sleeping in his car this year. That and I have milk, bread, and booze in this house right now!
Then again, this could be another 'OH MY GOD WE'RE ALL GONNA DIE' over reaction by everyone in the metro area and we'll all be back at the soccer fields tomorrow! Fasten your seatbelts, folks, this could be one interesting ride today!
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Post by Soccerhouse on Feb 25, 2015 12:30:56 GMT -5
fortunately i was working from home last year on that day!
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Post by SoccerMom on Feb 25, 2015 12:53:05 GMT -5
I wasnt last year and spent 6+ hours stuck, this time around Im working from home
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Post by Soccerhouse on Feb 25, 2015 15:01:31 GMT -5
the snow has begun.
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Post by spectator on Feb 25, 2015 17:06:29 GMT -5
Yup - snowing like crazy here and the roads are already covered. Glad I have all my chickens home to roost this year. Kid is giddy with that Southern optimism that we'll have enough snow for a day of sledding tomorrow; husband is home working on his second beer and I'm - sigh - working. These are the days when having a remote job isn't as cool and fun as you think -I don't get snow days.
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Post by lovethegame on Feb 25, 2015 20:51:05 GMT -5
For days we've seen weather reports predicting snow with possible accumulations up to 6 inches depending on where you are - all predicted to start between noon and 2 today. Governor Deal pre-emptively issued a state of emergency yesterday to go into effect today around 1pm. He's also ordered government agencies to close at noon. On the surface, it'd look like he learned his lesson from last year's ClusterFlake. BUT - for agencies to close at noon, they have to be open right now. Meaning people are at work. And it's a safe assumption to make that other non government employers are also open today but may close around noon to let people get home. Did I mention that this snow we've known about for days is expected to hit between noon and 2? Right as all those people are getting in their cars to go home to beat the snow? And the one big lesson (or joke to the rest of the world) that we learned last year is that a lot of people getting on the roads right as snow starts is a bad bad bad bad idea. And yet, our esteemed (cough cough) governor has all but ensured it's going to happen again. The only reason I'm finding this ironically hilarious right now is that schools are closed and my husband is home so no trekking to get the kid or spouse sleeping in his car this year. That and I have milk, bread, and booze in this house right now! Then again, this could be another 'OH MY GOD WE'RE ALL GONNA DIE' over reaction by everyone in the metro area and we'll all be back at the soccer fields tomorrow! Fasten your seatbelts, folks, this could be one interesting ride today! So, did it happen again? This is one of those no win situations. You close everything down and nothing happens and people are upset. You predict wrong and don't close down early enough and it's dangerous. Weather isn't as predictable as we would all like to believe. They can predict a storm, but in the South, the difference of a few degrees, warmer or colder, can mean a huge storm versus rain. A storm can impact the north part of Atlanta versus the south side of town completely differently. I don't know if you were aware, but right after the storm last year in Atlanta, they saw the same thing happen in Charlotte. I don't recall if they closed down early enough, but I believe they did. The problem was, the people didn't stay off the roads and the accidents completely blocked the roads and they almost had another Atlanta. In the end everyone involved is doing the best to predict what can't be predicted. They look at weather models that don't always agree with one another. Everyone stay safe and enjoy your time at home with your family. Above all let's hope you all keep your power, because life without electricity is no fun. |
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Post by spectator on Feb 26, 2015 9:28:06 GMT -5
Roads are partially OK right now - should be fine by this afternoon and no, we didn't get the predicted amount because yes, weather forecasting isn't an exact science.
My issue yesterday was the same as it was last year - not with the forecast but the ineptitude of our local and state governments. At least this year they closed schools. One lesson learned from last year and no kid had to sleep on a cold gym floor or on a bus. BUT - what was equally as inept as last year and they dodged the bullet this time, was how the governor and mayor of Atlanta did set it up where people could have all been leaving work at the same right as the snow was predicted to begin. Had that snow hit just an hour earlier and harder, we'd be seeing the same scenes as last year. When it was really coming down yesterday, the roads were almost instantly covered where I live and I did hear reports of people abandoning cars in Cherokee County because they got stuck in it.
One last thing - employers need to realize two things - that this metro area does not have the ability to treat all roads and too many people on them during such weather is a recipe for disaster. I had a friend who has a boss who insisted everyone come to work that morning no matter where they lived. That's ridiculous - she works in an accounting office not a trauma center - they could work from home but this guy is a tyrant. No job is worth risking your life or the life of others to drive on ice to get to!
This will all be melted by tomorrow and if we can get through early March without another incident, we may have seen the last of this white stuff. Stay warm today - and off the roads!
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Post by lovethegame on Feb 26, 2015 10:37:21 GMT -5
Roads are partially OK right now - should be fine by this afternoon and no, we didn't get the predicted amount because yes, weather forecasting isn't an exact science. My issue yesterday was the same as it was last year - not with the forecast but the ineptitude of our local and state governments. At least this year they closed schools. One lesson learned from last year and no kid had to sleep on a cold gym floor or on a bus. BUT - what was equally as inept as last year and they dodged the bullet this time, was how the governor and mayor of Atlanta did set it up where people could have all been leaving work at the same right as the snow was predicted to begin. Had that snow hit just an hour earlier and harder, we'd be seeing the same scenes as last year. When it was really coming down yesterday, the roads were almost instantly covered where I live and I did hear reports of people abandoning cars in Cherokee County because they got stuck in it. One last thing - employers need to realize two things - that this metro area does not have the ability to treat all roads and too many people on them during such weather is a recipe for disaster. I had a friend who has a boss who insisted everyone come to work that morning no matter where they lived. That's ridiculous - she works in an accounting office not a trauma center - they could work from home but this guy is a tyrant. No job is worth risking your life or the life of others to drive on ice to get to! This will all be melted by tomorrow and if we can get through early March without another incident, we may have seen the last of this white stuff. Stay warm today - and off the roads! Just an FYI. When I asked if it had happened again, I actually didn't know if parts of Atlanta had seen a repeat. I hadn't watched any tv for hours. I do think part of the problem in the South is that it's so hard to predict. It stayed a few degrees warmer, so areas that were supposed to get snow got rain. I read comments late last night on FB. People were so upset that they didn't get the snow the felt they were promised, which I find a bit crazy. The meteorologists can't win. But, there was a lot of hype with this storm that didn't live up to the build up. Personally, I think that's a good thing. The government officials can't win either. If they don't call it early enough and it's worse than predicted, it's dangerous. If they call it early and the storm doesn't pan out then the business owners are angry because they've lost a day. What would help is if bosses like your friend's let their employees work from home if they can instead of insisting they come in. Today, so many can work from home as easily as from the office without any real effect on the business. Right now, I'm just thankful I don't live in Boston. |
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Post by spectator on Feb 26, 2015 12:43:21 GMT -5
I agree about Southern Snow and telecommuting - pity more employers won't allow that as an option. It was 'ClusterFlake 2014' that changed my employer's stance on remote work - we had employees stuck at the office for two days, stuck on the highway for over 24 hours and one ended up in the hospital for carbon monoxide posioning. As a healthcare company, they realized the risks weren't worth it for the excuse that we needed collaboration time face to face. We talk more now via webecx than we did when we were stuck in the office.
But -as for the government - to me that's personal. While my husband was freezing in his car last year, I watched both Deal and Reid blame all of us for the traffic. At no time did I see or hear either of those guys take responsibility for their decisions or lack thereof and Deal even put that poor transportation guy out there to take the fall for him. I have no respect for either of those guys and I tried hard to 'fire' Deal with my lack of vote but that didn't work out so well. The fact that neither of them opted to close businesse and then told everyone to leave at the same time to 'beat' the snow, showed me they didn't learn from the mistake last year and almost put everyone at risk again. Just close -be safe not sorry. It's not worth the repeat or the humilation - albeit hilarious - when we're mocked on SNL or The Daily Show for shutting down for two inches of snow.
And yes - thank goodness we're not in Boston. I have a facebook friend up there who has a 14 foot snowdrift against her house and a leaky roof from all the snow on it. I'll take Georgia's light dusting of 'Devil's Dandruff' for $1,000. Alex! LOL
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Post by dreaddy on Feb 26, 2015 12:54:05 GMT -5
Actually, Reid did close the city - City of Atlanta workers did not have to go in yesterday. He can't control what other businesses in the city do.
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Post by spectator on Feb 26, 2015 13:05:38 GMT -5
Actually, Reid did close the city - City of Atlanta workers did not have to go in yesterday. He can't control what other businesses in the city do. Nice to know but he doesn't get a pass for telling all the other businesses to close and leave by a certain time. And I believe by issuing the State of Emercency, the governor can at least partially control what businesses can and cannot do. Although his state of emergency started at 1pm yesterday - only serving to get everyone out on the road by then to comply with it. As for reid, he would have been better off stating that Businesses should exercise caution and allow for their employees to leave to get home rather than saying 'everybody out by 1pm' (or whatever time he stated - I don't recall). 20-20 hindsight - and he nor Deal seemed to have learned from it. |
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Post by dreaddy on Feb 26, 2015 13:25:02 GMT -5
Actually, Reid did close the city - City of Atlanta workers did not have to go in yesterday. He can't control what other businesses in the city do. Nice to know but he doesn't get a pass for telling all the other businesses to close and leave by a certain time. And I believe by issuing the State of Emercency, the governor can at least partially control what businesses can and cannot do. Although his state of emergency started at 1pm yesterday - only serving to get everyone out on the road by then to comply with it. As for reid, he would have been better off stating that Businesses should exercise caution and allow for their employees to leave to get home rather than saying 'everybody out by 1pm' (or whatever time he stated - I don't recall). 20-20 hindsight - and he nor Deal seemed to have learned from it. Accepted  |
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Post by lovethegame on Feb 26, 2015 13:48:58 GMT -5
I agree about Southern Snow and telecommuting - pity more employers won't allow that as an option. It was 'ClusterFlake 2014' that changed my employer's stance on remote work - we had employees stuck at the office for two days, stuck on the highway for over 24 hours and one ended up in the hospital for carbon monoxide posioning. As a healthcare company, they realized the risks weren't worth it for the excuse that we needed collaboration time face to face. We talk more now via webecx than we did when we were stuck in the office. But -as for the government - to me that's personal. While my husband was freezing in his car last year, I watched both Deal and Reid blame all of us for the traffic. At no time did I see or hear either of those guys take responsibility for their decisions or lack thereof and Deal even put that poor transportation guy out there to take the fall for him. I have no respect for either of those guys and I tried hard to 'fire' Deal with my lack of vote but that didn't work out so well. The fact that neither of them opted to close businesse and then told everyone to leave at the same time to 'beat' the snow, showed me they didn't learn from the mistake last year and almost put everyone at risk again. Just close -be safe not sorry. It's not worth the repeat or the humilation - albeit hilarious - when we're mocked on SNL or The Daily Show for shutting down for two inches of snow. And yes - thank goodness we're not in Boston. I have a facebook friend up there who has a 14 foot snowdrift against her house and a leaky roof from all the snow on it. I'll take Georgia's light dusting of 'Devil's Dandruff' for $1,000. Alex! LOL Well, I can certainly see that you have reason to be angry with the the mayor and governor. It was a mess last year. My one question is, and I don't know the answer, can the governor and mayor require a business to shut down or is that beyond the scope of their authority? |
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Post by SoccerMom on Feb 26, 2015 13:55:13 GMT -5
I agree about Southern Snow and telecommuting - pity more employers won't allow that as an option. It was 'ClusterFlake 2014' that changed my employer's stance on remote work - we had employees stuck at the office for two days, stuck on the highway for over 24 hours and one ended up in the hospital for carbon monoxide posioning. As a healthcare company, they realized the risks weren't worth it for the excuse that we needed collaboration time face to face. We talk more now via webecx than we did when we were stuck in the office. But -as for the government - to me that's personal. While my husband was freezing in his car last year, I watched both Deal and Reid blame all of us for the traffic. At no time did I see or hear either of those guys take responsibility for their decisions or lack thereof and Deal even put that poor transportation guy out there to take the fall for him. I have no respect for either of those guys and I tried hard to 'fire' Deal with my lack of vote but that didn't work out so well. The fact that neither of them opted to close businesse and then told everyone to leave at the same time to 'beat' the snow, showed me they didn't learn from the mistake last year and almost put everyone at risk again. Just close -be safe not sorry. It's not worth the repeat or the humilation - albeit hilarious - when we're mocked on SNL or The Daily Show for shutting down for two inches of snow. And yes - thank goodness we're not in Boston. I have a facebook friend up there who has a 14 foot snowdrift against her house and a leaky roof from all the snow on it. I'll take Georgia's light dusting of 'Devil's Dandruff' for $1,000. Alex! LOL Well, I can certainly see that you have reason to be angry with the the mayor and governor. It was a mess last year. My one question is, and I don't know the answer, can the governor and mayor require a business to shut down or is that beyond the scope of their authority? i dont think they can require it, they can recommend it. Its a private business |
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Post by spectator on Feb 26, 2015 18:40:15 GMT -5
Found the answer - The State of Emergency in GA only means the Governor has mobilized emergency services at state agencies, can call out the National Guard, and he can close state government offices and probably direct his staff to close state highways.
Only closing the highways would affect any private businesses but there are no repurcussions if your employer is such a jerk he or she demands you risk hurting yourself or others by driving in unsafe conditions. I know in the case of a State of Emergency with a hurricane, businesses cannot gouge folks - like with hotel prices - but that's a different section.
You would think that if government offices were closed under threat of bad weather, other employers would use common sense and do the same but they can't be punished or fined if they don't.
Last year my employer did do something very nice - for any hourly worker who could not make it to work during the snow, they were paid for those days anyway. The COO's email was amazing saying they valued employees too much to risk our safety and didn't want anyone to feel they had to come in just to get paid. And from what I heard, no one took advantage of that either - people got there when they could. By the time folks were able to make it in, the company had catered breakfasts and lunches for the rest of the week in appreciation. I feel sorry for my friend with the jerk boss making her come in. She took today as PTO and he still kept calling her but won't let her work from home ever. I am helping her revamp her resume this weekend - she's just done!
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