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Blizzard Blues: The Storm That Wasn’t

by Frank LoBuono

Jan 2015 NYC Blizzard Snow Photo Credit: ©2015 Frank LoBuono Alright. So, it was the Blizzard That Wasn’t. Weather forecasters had predicated yet another Storm of the Century with fierce winds and enough snow to last until May. The city would be crippled for days. Groceries flew off the shelves as quickly as a flock of startled crows off a power line. Roads were closed and public transportation shut down. New York City subways were stopped for only the third time in history.

And, then, it fizzled. The storm stayed further out to sea, slamming New England with copious amounts of the white stuff while sparring New York almost entirely. But, the damage was already done – as a precaution, an emergency was declared and the City was closed. And I loved it! The world’s most frenetic city took on a completely different pace. The streets, normally clogged with traffic, were so empty one could walk freely down the middle. And, it was quiet – almost eerily so. The only sounds heard were the howling of the wind, the occasional siren, and the plows clearing whatever snow there was off the streets.

There is an inexorable force to the streets of New York. Walking can feel like being on a conveyor belt. It’s as if an invisible power is carrying you along.  It simply cannot be resisted. However, on days (or nights) after a blizzard, even one that wasn’t, the streets of the world’s  greatest city are YOURS. You set the pace. You may even tarry if you like and think that Manhattan, this mad Manhattan that we’ve come to know, was once a wild and isolated island.

The calm AFTER the storm didn’t last long. It never does – even when there is a real blizzard – and this one was far from the Snowmageddon predicted. Like a giant centipede that was knocked on its back, the city eventually righted itself and got back in gear – running on hundreds of legs. It was back to business in, well, a New York minute. It sure was nice while it lasted.

 Frank LoBuono has lived in Nyack for over 30 years writing and covering Rockland County in print, on TV and online. He works as a cameraman and an editor for a major TV News organization. You can read his blog at Talk-Frank.blogspot.com.

 Photo: Jan 2015 NYC Blizzard Credit: ©2015 Frank LoBuono


Nyack People & Places, a weekly series that features photos and profiles of citizens and scenes near Nyack, NY, is sponsored by Sun River Health.


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