The potential for snow in winter reminds me of the Blizzard of 1993; the one I will never forget and the only one I ever experienced. This storm covered a large swath of the Eastern United States. Look up Superstorm of 1993 for pictures
For less than a year my husband, Hank, had been the minister of a church in a small town south of Asheville, NC. The church building was a three-story, old brick structure, with a large downstairs kitchen, complete with a gas stove and recreation room. A soup kitchen and a church run thrift store were part of the ministry of the church to help the needy. Both had a fairly good supply of food and lots of clothes.
It was March 12 and I was sleeping after a 12 hour shift at the hospital the night before, when Hank called me about noon. It was snowing hard and the area was about to have a huge snow storm! “Pack what you can and come to the church now!” he said. I gathered clothes and necessities for us all and joined my husband and son, Mike (then 9 years old who was with his father at the church).
I am not using “blizzard” to describe a light powdering of snow coming down heavily! I am describing long term, heavy, blinding, freezing snow. Blizzards were rare in this area on the east side of the Appalachian Mountains. Highway 26, which leads through Spartanburg, SC to Asheville, NC, was already so hazardous that people were unable to drive any further north than our little town. This blizzard made the national news and lasted three days
The highway patrol called Hank to see if our church could house some 50-60 people marooned in a bus, which had slipped off the road and was partially in a ditch! Off my husband went in the church van to transport the victims to the largest place of refuge there, our church.
After the bus’s people had been rescued, many other travelers, (families, stranded college students) streamed into the shelter of our church. We ended up with 104 people.
EMS drivers brought food to us from local restaurants, prepared that day for the customers who never showed up. We ate well that first day or so. Then things got a little more challenging
The electricity cut off just before dark that first night. Fortunately, there were candles and flash lights, which we placed in strategic places to help people find their way around the unfamiliar building.
That evening the temperature inside the building dropped into the 50’s. It took many coats and blankets from the church thrift store to keep people warm. Coats also doubled as pallets for beds. Since there was plenty of class rooms and areas, people could have some privacy and sleep for the night.
Everyone was pretty worn out from their stress and worry, not to mention, wondering, “What would happen next?”
Second day: Since we didn’t have cell phones in common use back then, (maybe not at all) our only source of information was a battery operated radio where we could keep up with the weather forecast and hear about the “outside world.” The snow was coming down so hard we couldn’t see the intersection or the road 50 yards away, even on the second day.
Breakfast was prepared by some of us ladies by heating up the instant coffee and Swiss Miss Hot Chocolate, which we thankfully had plenty of, and some instant oatmeal or grits and I seem to remember eggs too. There were many canned goods that we could feed the people with, so at least no one went hungry.
I think it was the second day a mother, father and 2 young sons arrived at our church. They had been on the road all day and driven into the blizzard, not knowing how bad the roads would be. They did not stop for fear of getting stuck and freezing to death in their car! Directions to the bathrooms and hot chocolate were provided instantly!
After a quick call to the electric company explaining our unique situation the electric company cleared the wires to give us power and heat. While everyone was warm enough and fed, there were games they could play, lots of talk, and a large building that people could explore.
Third day: The snow stopped during the night. There was at least two to two and a half feet of snow on the ground, maybe even three in places. Everyone was starting to feel grumpy, bored and smelly. Since there had been no room in the van for luggage, no one had soap or shampoo or even clean clothes!
Fortunately I brought soap and shampoo from home! So using the provisions we had, my husband directed everyone to wash their hair in the large kitchen sinks downstairs with the shampoo. (Some even used dish detergent!) Then Hank filled the baptismal with two or so feet of cold water. Enough hot water was brought up from the gas stove to break the water’s chill! Two people could wash in the baptismal pool, separately of course, and then the water would be changed for the next people. With clothes from the store we were all clean and in better spirits by the day’s end.
Fourth Day: I think it was the fourth day, one of our church members drove his Bobcat to the large intersection that the highway went through near one corner of the church lot and started clearing the snow. That day some major roads were cleared or melted enough for some people to start driving carefully.
Bad News: We found out there were trees lying across almost every block of the city. Not just one or two but multiple trees needed clearing. The weight of the snow and ice toppled trees and broke off branches.
We were also saddened to hear that about 10 people had died in the higher elevations. They ran out of wood and sadly froze to death in their cabins or houses. This gave us an even stronger sense of thankfulness that we had made it to safety in time.
Fifth Day: We decided to wait there one more day to be sure the roads were safe before leaving the safety of the church. By the fifth day everyone left and returned to their bus or car.
It turned out that the bus passengers were not happy with their bus driver. He had deserted them and taken the last bed in the only motel in town! After they left and a miserable drive to the station with a bunch of angry passengers, he was reported to the company by his passengers!
Everyone was grateful to have had a safe, warm place in the storm with food and companionship. Later that year some people came back wearing t-shirts saying, “I survived the Blizzard of 93!”
It was amazing that things went so smoothly under the circumstances. It took another day before I could get back to work and have electricity at our house turned on.
These kinds of experiences foster a true appreciation for the small comforts in life like a warm bed, warm food, a hot shower and especially shelter in a snow storm.
joyful2beeblogs 
Very interesting! We were in CA that year: no blizzard at the beach!
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It was quite an experience, Bruce! CA wold be a nice place to visit especially during a blizzard somewhere else! LOL!
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Wow, Elaine. I have cold chills from this! I was 11 when this happened, so of course I don’t remember it, but what an encouraging story to read! I felt like I was in there with you guys, snuggled and thankful, cramped and grumpy, laughing at bathing in the baptismal, then finally making way out of the blizzard. Do you still have contact with any of those people?
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Thank you, Carrie Ann. NO, one or maybe two people came back later that year wearing an “I survived the Blizzard of 92” though. LOL!
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Your blog took me back to January 1978 in Buffalo, New York. There the Blizzard also lasted for days, the white out blown snow burying tractor trailer trucks. My husband was an associate pastor at a church there. Once the storm itself ended he and I hiked with our children (aged 4 and 8) to the Salvation Army on Main Street where rescue operations were being organized. Calls went out for those with snowmobiles to help because no traffic moved whatsoever except for large military trucks. So I cooked and fed people and packed bags of food which were taken my snowmobiler to people stranded in their homes. My husband helped with the trucks and loading and unloading of food delivered by the military. I remember asking the Major how he was managing and he said he had spent all his emergency budget for the whole year, and some of the rest of it too, but he knew, “God had a plan and it would all be blessed.” It is wonderful to see how a whole community can come together at such times. People are good…and God is great.
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Wow, sounds like you were quite busy!! You must have helped hundreds of people. My sister was living in Brooklyn and had her son on the 18th of that month. She said the snow was not nearly as bad as yours then. What a coincidence!
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Thankfully I have never been stuck in a blizzard. Thank goodness. It is amazing how people bond over such extreme circumstances 😊
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It was certainly an experience I will never forget. Thank you for commenting.
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I remember it well. We had just moved north to PA from South Carolina, and my kids had not seen snow in many years…they were thrilled, the neighbors blamed us for the storm. ☺ I can’t imagine going through this with 100 people. Bless your family.
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Thanks Vanbytheriver! It was an experience that I will never forget!! But it brings back pride and fond memories too. Lol
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just imagine that you and the church was there to help people in a desperate situation. God is good and we ought to be prepared a bit more for unexpected things like this blizzard or power cut
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Our church was just off the main highway going from Spartanburg, SC to Asheville, NC. I feel the church’s location, facilities, space, soup kitchen supplies and spare clothes in the thrift store as well as the soap and shampoo I brought were all miracles of timing and provision. Thank you for commenting.
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Well that is an amazing story of survival in an urban setting. In Canada there are blizzards as a regular event but not with the severity you have recorded here. The last winter event I remember that upset things with us was the ice storm about four years ago. That cause power outages and accidents and in some places they went without power in below freezing temps for many days. We rely on the benefits of civilization ( electricity, heating, clear roads to drive our cars on etec) and is it an epic event when we loose all that. Thanks for sharing your story.
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Wow, regular blizzards! That get scarey, doesn’t it? Delighted that you enjoyed the story. If you look up the Superstorm of 1993, you can see the effects of the snow, 30 minutes north of us. We were that close and had about that much snow ourselves.
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What an adventure Joyful! But how wonderful that your church was a refuge for so many. In Cincinnati, I seem to remember that it was bad there as well (but not like in Asheville!) – I think my kids were off school for nearly a week. I more vividly remember the Great Blizzard of 1978. Hubs got marooned in Charleston, WVa and finally made it back to Cincinnati 3 days later on a train. Crazy stuff!! Happy New Year to you!
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I still remember those trees fallen across the roads. It was an adventure I will never forget!!
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Happy New Year!!!
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what an amazing tale of kindness and compassion for so many reasons. this is quite a story and one you will never forget. what a blessing you both were to so many
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Thank you, Beth. It was both exciting and scary. I had never been in a situation quite like that. I am just thankful we had what they needed. When we got home a tree had fallen across the back part of the yard. If it had fallen differently it could have fallen on the house. I was very thankful it didn’t.
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Thankfully you and your church were in the middle of it to help so many! God had you there for a reason. Blessings! And thanks for sharing!
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Thank you Sheryl. It was an experience I will never forget! Thankful we were in a big church building with a kitchen and thrift store.
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That sounds like an interesting and scary experience. God blessed you and all those people. I hope most had houses standing to go back to.
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It was an experience I will never forget. Many of the people who came to the church were people who had been traveling when the highway was closed due to the snow. I don’t remember hearing about any houses falling in though. Thanks for commenting catsand coffee.
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Of course and call me Venus
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Sorry, Venus. I will make a note of that. I forgot this time.
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That was a scary but happily ended memory. We need to be respectful when dealing with nature. Its beyond human sometimes to handle the nature. Beautifully written. Thanks.
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Thank you for commenting, Vipin C Nambiar. Have a wonderful day.
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