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First is the Governor. Why did he NOT call a State Emergency? Yes, I know the Eastern 1/3 of the State (Harrisburg and East) get a lot more snow then in Western Pennsylvania. This is because Atlantic Storms bring in a lot of warm moist air, which drops a lot of wet snow. Such Atlantic Storms rarely reach across the Mountains.
The problem was this was an Alberta Clipper combined with moist air from the WEST. Alberta Clipper rarely brings with them much moisture (Cold Air does NOT carry moisture as while as warmer air). The problem was the Alberta Clipper was pushing a weak warm front in front of it and that warm front had the moisture. Pennsylvania was already under below 20 degree temperatures BEFORE these two fronts went through, thus the predictions were for 12 or more inches of snow with Freezing rain and sleet possible. The key was HOW high the temperature was going to go, if above freezing the moisture would come down as rain, if at Freezing, the moisture would come down as Freezing rain, if just below Freezing as sleet, if below about 28, as snow (Everyone was hoping for snow, as it became more and more apparent that the moisture was NOT going to come down as rain).
This was further complicated by where the air temperature switched between freezing and above freezing temperatures. It might be 28 on the surface but at 1000 feet up it might be 33. This would be enough for the snow to melt and then refreeze as freezing rain.
Thus while no one was predicting more than 2 feet of snow, everyone was predicting Freezing rain would be part of the mix. This was going to be a mess. Now Governor Ridge, when he was governor, did close down the state in anticipation of such a similar Storm and received all types of flak for doing so. In a nutshell that is the problem, the storm was going to be bad, but the state hoped it would NOT be so bad that the state would have to close down. That was true in most of the state, the local Schools and Government made the decision to close down (In my local area, Cannondale bicycle Company even told the media to add its name to the Closing list, which they did). On I-78 the State lost its gamble. A Truck Jackknifed and do to the ice on the road the truck could not be moved quickly, this backed up traffic which prevented the snow trucks from plowing and salting (and tying up the trucks with removing the Tractor-Trailer AND being caught up in the same traffic mess).
Thus the problem was that tractor trailer SHOULD not have been on the road, most of the cars should NOT have been on the road, and all of this do to the Governor NOT declaring a State Emergency forcing employers to close down businesses and telling their employees to go him BEFORE the Storm hit (Governor Ridge’s Order had been a voluntary order but it was enough for many employees to convinced their employers to close down for the day). Thus if the Governor had issued a State Emergency (And be willing to take the heat for doing so) this mess would have been avoided, a lot of business would be complaining of having to close early, but that is the cost of gambling that “The State will survive this storm without declaring an Emergency”.
Second, who called out the National Guard? Remember these are PART TIME SOLDIERS; they have to get off their CIVILIAN Jobs before they can go home, get their Uniforms, go to the Armory, pick up their Trucks and help out. Many can’t do that unless called up, and most times the Unit wait for Volunteers and send them into action quickly, and then wait the 2-3 days for the rest of the unit to get to the armory. That is what happen When I volunteer for the Western Pennsylvania Water disaster in 1988, we did not have time for people to get to the armory after being called, those who show up on their own went out. Most National Guard people cannot just leave their work; they have to arrange the time off with their boss. For example telling them you have been called up, and many bosses will DEMAND a copy of the ORDERS. This is a VALID demand of one’s employer thus the National Guardsmen have to go to the armory to get a copy of the ORDER and take it back to your boss. All of this takes TIME and thus it takes TIME to call up whole units, volunteers who show up at the armory on their own do most of the emergency work.
Furthermore except for MPs, most National Guardsmen and NOT trained to direct Traffic, we do it in an emergency and when we pull out our own trucks from an armory, but that is all, the only people who can direct traffic are Police Officers. In my Water crisis days I even had to be escorted by a State Police Officer, even through the Officer did NOT know where we were going and I did (I had to follow him and then direct him where to turn using by turn Signals). While my old unit was used in Iraq as MPs, this was as Escorts NOT directing Traffic, thus they are still NOT qualified to direct Traffic (Through could be used to man road blocks onto the Interstate to prevent cars from entering the Interstates).
Another Complications is the National Guard’s fear that people may use their equipment at home, thus equipment is often kept in lockers in the Armory (When I was in the Texas National Guard my personal Equipment was kept at home, but in Pennsylvania it was always kept in the Locker). Furthermore my old unit (I last served in the late 1980s) kept our Cold Weather boots separate, least we wear them out by wearing them at home in the winter. Thus I would NOT be surprised that NONE of the National Guardsmen had Winter Boots, all of which would have to be issued to them from Indiantown gap. This is what happened to the only pair of Winter Boots I was issued in the National Guard. My unit had planned for a Winter Camp for over six months, every drill for six months we had to report any shortage of equipment, boots, tents, uniforms, web gear etc. The plan was to issue as any shortage of equipment AFTER we arrived at Fort Indiantown Gap. We hit the gap and went straight to the field. This lead to a near disastrous as the temperatures drops to the low 20s and all we were regular boots and rubber over-boots, Field Jackets and liner. In most Pennsylvania Winters that was good enough, but every so often temperatures drop to the 20s and you need more. In our case as we went to the field, temperatures dropped and after one night in the field we had to be called out of the field do to lack of boots, long underwear, and cold weather gear. At the end of out two-week winter Camp we had to TURNED both the Winter Coats and winter boots back in when we arrived at the Armory. We were NOT to keep them least we wear them during the winter. In my last two years in the Guard I never saw those boots again.
MY point here is I do NOT think the National Guard Units were CAPABLE of working outside, the Guard is more worried about the Guardsmen using their Uniform while in the Civilian World then of the Guardsmen being able to get ready in bad weather as quickly as possible. Thus I do not think the Guardsmen could man those Barrier do to lack of Winter Clothing (Mostly lack of cold weather boots), it was and continues to be cold and you need that extra protection the Army Cold Weather boots provide if you have to stand around in the cold weather which the Guardsmen would have to do.
One last comment, many Guardsmen are also Police Officers, Sheriff Deputies and even prison Guards, all of whom were already involved in helping the situation, which put another crimp in the ability of the Guard to help out in this situation. All the Guard could really do is drive their Trucks on the median strip (If there is one) and make sure everyone had blankets, food and enough gasoline to keep warm (and to provide transportation if any of the Driver needed to go someplace and warm up). While I can blame the Guard for NOT being able to get into action faster, given the limitation the Guard operates under, the Guard even showing up within a day was a great job on their part.
As to Penndot, I cannot blame them; no one expected a tractor-trailer to jackknife. Such an incident requires heavy-duty wreckers, which may take hours to get to such a tractor Trailer during good weather. Once traffic was tied up it was up to the State Police and Local Police to control Traffic. Both the State Police and the Local Police assumed this would be clean up in a couple of hours did not close the entrance ramps (Remember the Governor had NOT declared an Emergency so no reason to close the ramps). Apparently the heavy duty wreckers had a tough time getting to the wreck do to the traffic and the ice. Once at the scene, the ice caused problems for the wrecker on picking up the tractor and trailer (Remember most such wreckers are NOT four wheel drive, so they had to be careful not to get struck and waste time pulling themselves out). This is all foreseeable IF YOU HAVE A ICE STORM. Thus I have to go back to the Governor for NOT calling an emergency.
The State Police from what I heard did an excellent Job, but again the Governor has to provide the leadership and he was watching a Basketball game. This is the problem, this was a bad storm that everyone gambled would be minor, it was not and the blame should be on the people who made the gamble, the Governor and his Staff.
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