Stranded on the WV Turnpike | Arthritis Information
Hello Everyone,
I have traveled back to the beach in Florida. The weather is a bit cooler but, much better than Ohio. We had one of the hardest trips I ever made. We changed our plans and left a 1/2 day earlier than planned. We left on Friday about 5:00 PM. Two hours later we got on the WV Turnpike, turned out 2 trucks jack knifed about 4 miles in front of us and we came to a complete stop on the turn pike. There was a deep ravine to us on the right of the road and concrete dividers on the left for miles. We sat there and it started to snow....make a long story short we were stranded for 20 1/2 HOURS...in the SUV...my husband, our son and myself...it was AWFUL...we ran the car for 5 minutes every hour to reserve gas and get warm. WE ate fresh snow for water..about 18 hours into it someone gave us a bottle of water. We shared cookie I had made and packed away for the family. It was awful. The news said that they sent out the national guard to bring us supplies, but we saw NO ONE. People early on tried to turn around in front of us and come down the side of the road, while others behind us made a third lane trying to get by the stopped traffic...well it made things a bigger mess...they were at a stand off and no place to go. People ran out of gas. A woman with her 17 year old daughter and nine month old twins behind us only had a 1/4 tank of gas...she ended up taking the babies to a big truck to keep them warm.
When we came to a stop in traffic it was just starting to snow, by morning there was snow up to my knees. Using the bathroom was awful..It is something I never want to go through again. We never saw police, or anyone. 20 1/2 hours in the car surrounded by hundreds of stranded motorist for miles...If you read the news release they say the National Guard was out bringing us supplies...Not True.
We are here now...I was wiped out..but I am happy to be with my family. Have a Merry Christmas everyone.
#1inflamedOnline2009-12-21 20:35:47Glad you made it. Give Gavin a big hug! Enjoy the rest of the holidays! Better make some more cookies for the trip home.Thank you Milly. You are very kind. I gave that little Mr. a HUGE hug...and we will be taking water and food along in the car when we head home...no matter what the weather calls for. (also I will have a roll of tissue )Always best to plan ahead. Enjoy yourself. We get rain , then rain, then snow, then snow. Probably some ice in there some place. Guess I will just stay home and eat ham and pie. Happy Holidays.
Editing to add that I am staying home with my Mother and brothers and sister so I am not going to celebrate alone.
I could of course travel to see my granddaughter and son. I just do not feel like braving the weather. We went out for chinese food this week while the weather was nice and had a good visit.
milly2009-12-22 23:55:01I hate to hear that. I live in Roanoke and we got 20in, give or take an inch, from that storm. It was crazy how bad the weather got so quickly. I had a 2:15 appt and not a flake. Came out @3:00 and there was over an inch on the ground. It took me 3hrs. to travel 6miles home. It snowed 2-3in an hour at some points. I know people up north say that they get snow all the time. But, they have the equipment to handle it. We still have unpaved roads. The elementary school down the road had the roof collapse over the cafeteria. Thank goodness we are on winter break.
Glad you are home safe. I know the news said on Sat that there were up to 1000 people stranded on I 81. That was just in Va. I know it was an awful situation, but it will make for some cool stories in the future!
OMgosh, Lisa..... What a horrible ordeal.... I'm so sorry you had to experience that.. Makes you appreciate your visit with the family even more... if that's possible..
I worry about that stuff any time I am traveling up the PA turnpike.. I've been stuck on it for hours upon hours.. and try to be sure to have food/water/and TP....
How horrible that the news reported you had assistance when there was none to be found???
Always keep some safety candles in your car. It's amazing how much heat they put off. Anyway, it's a good story and a learning experience. Glad it turned out well.
LEV
I can only imagine what being stranded for 20 1/2 hours would be like. Here in Oklahoma on Christmas Eve we had the worst snow storm in history, they had to call in the national guard. We were out in it. Got stuck in the snow drifts 3 times, finally made it home and got stuck in the drive way - at that point I did not care, we received 14 inches of snow. today you cannot reach my door due to a 4 foot snow drift.
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