How much did the economy in the greater Atlanta area suffer due to the

[hedgehog]

total collapse of the transportation system due to the ice storm? How much would it cost for the Greater Atlanta local governments to go out and buy salt trucks, even if they only use them once or twice a year?

Edit: I'd really prefer municipalities everywhere to quit using salt; it's hell on the environment and I think there are good substitutes out there.

[Fumesucker]

1. They wouldn't get used once or twice a year

More like every third or fifth year they would really be necessary.

Snow isn't that common here, we sometimes go entire winters with no snow at all.

[Phentex]

2. The mayor says he spent 2.5 million on new equipment...

after the ice storm of 2011 - 30 spreaders, 40 snowplows and 70,000 tons of sand and gravel.

They were not able to use them in time.

[ProdigalJunkMail]

3. and it is not just a one time purchase

there are maintenance and storage costs involved... the best thing to do would have been to look at the forecast at 4AM (like many of us did) and call a halt to the schools and make a simple recommendation that people work from home where they could.

If the corporations (and the gov't, too) had just let people out at the normal time (which is actually rather staggered across the hours of 3PM to 7PM) it probably would not have been nearly as bad...

sP