Joan
Coventry, Rhode Island
At the time of the '78 blizzard, we lived on Main Street in West Warwick's Crompton area. It began snowing while we were in K-Mart on Route 117 shopping for infant formula for our two-month-old daughter. By the time we returned home, roads were already white. As the day, then night, wore on, the 'estimated' total accumulation kept increasing. By the time the last flake landed, it was clear no one was going very far except on foot. It was amazing to see the huge equipment drive down the street to clear the roadway. Our neighbor and I shoveled a path from our front doors to the road. My husband could not help due to surgery on his leg a few days prior to the storm. Ironically, the surgeon's office called a few days after the storm ended asking if we were keeping our recheck appointment. It turned out the over-zealous office person had walked to work. My husband told her that unless the doctor planned to send a helicopter for transport, there was no way we could get there! He stayed with our daughter inside. Once a path to the road was accomplished, my neighbor's daughter and I walked to Roch's Market a little way down Main Street to get more infant formula as we had only picked up enough for a few days. We did a week's worth of shopping. Everything was available at the time since most folks were still digging out. Our location on Main Street was a great location as emergency vehicles often came by from Route 3 to Route 117 and vice versa, so our part of Main Street was passable. We lugged our shopping in a baby carriage and on a sled. It turned out to have been the wisest thing we could have done as just a few days later shelves everywhere were bare of the essentials. With a little clear thinking and swift action, we all made it just fine. My husband's leg healed well and our daughter turned thirty-five two months ago. She'll miss this blizzard [Winter Storm Nemo], however as she now lives in Texas! I think I will take out those old photos and reminisce as the snow begins to pile up in this blizzard since this time it's my turn to sit out the shoveling due to shoulder surgery!
Received via email, February 7, 2013.