Pennsylvania is plowing on-ramps closed. Martial law?

www.wgal.com...


You can't travel even if it's an emergency.

National Guard is patrolling.

You are not even supposed to go outside in some places.

Baltimore is basically under de-facto martial law.

While the storm is bad, I think they are using it as an excuse to try out a clampdown.

Could be. More likely it is yet another example of how no one on the east coast of the US, south of Massachusetts, is able to cope with what is considered a dusting here in the Northeast

[edit on 10-2-2010 by Avamarguy]

I seen this before...
They do that to protect burried cars from big trucks so they don't get squished.....
one more line

Originally posted by Avamarguy
Could be. More likely it is yet another example of how no one on the east coast of the US, south of Massachusetts, is able to cope with what is considered a dusting here in the Northeast

[edit on 10-2-2010 by Avamarguy]

This is silly to the point of being embarrassing. some regions are simply not set up, either geographically or structurally, for big snow.

Your region is used to this kind of snow. It is set up for it.

Has nothing to do with how well people 'cope'

I listened to the entire video report.

I didnt hear the words martial law anywhere.

I think what they are trying to do is save lives. I know for a fact where I live when it snows people act a fool and for some reason have to hit Cherokee Park with their dog and go sledding. In their pick up which to some people I know means impervious tank. (they are not btw).

Maybe PA has some of the same fools living there, so they have to do what they have to do to protect them from driving!

Isn't helping your state in weather emergencies a duty of the National Guard? They are not JUST for martial law.

I'm kinda enjoying seeing somewhere else getting dumped on. I've dealt with it my whole life. Some winters are bad and some are not as bad. But mostly bad. It's not too bad here right now. We will probably get a few more storms but this winter so far has been a piece of cake. It hasn't even been cold like it usually is. It must really suck in the places affected. Your getting Canadian weather and you can keep it.

Paranoid much? That's what the national guard does.

During huricane season they also assist in helping people evacuate cities. None of it's mandatory the same way it's not mandatory that you stay inside in PA. They're trying to keep the public safe

Snow Emergency

A Snow Emergency is the term used to indicate the active response plan when a snow storm severely impacts a city, county or town in the United States or Canada. Schools, universities, government offices, airports and public buildings may close during a Snow Emergency. Snow emergencies are declared as one of three levels; each level defines the recommended or mandated actions of the general public due to severe winter weather.

Typically, a Snow Emergency is declared by the mayor or other high official[1]. The declaration is usually issued after the winter storm has impacted a city or county. This is not a product issued by the National Weather Service, however, Winter Storm Warnings, Blizzard Warnings, and Winter Weather Advisories are taken into account when declaring a Snow Emergency. Snow emergencies are a common occurrence during the winter snowfall season in the Northern United States. The general public is alerted to Snow Emergency status via local broadcast stations, mass text messaging services, and public address systems.

During life-threatening winter storms, a State of Emergency may be declared for an entire state. This declaration overrules a county issued Snow Emergency.

Martial Law

Martial law is the imposition of military rule by military authorities over designated region(s) on an emergency basis—and often, but not necessarily, only temporarily—when the civilian government or civilian authorities fail to function effectively (e.g., maintain order and security, and provide essential services), or when there are extensive riots or protests, or when the disobedience of the law becomes wide-spread. In most cases, Military forces are deployed to quiet down the crowds, secure government buildings and other key or sensitive locations, and maintain order. Generally, military personnel replace civil authorities and perform some or all of their functions. The constitution could be suspended, and in a full-scale martial law, a high-ranking military officer could take over, or be installed, as a military governor or as the head of the government.

In addition, martial law can be used by governments to enforce their rule on the public. Examples: after a coup d'état (Thailand 2006); when threatened by popular protests (Tiananmen Square protests of 1989); or to suppress the opposition (Poland in 1981).
Another example would be The October Crisis which took place in Canada in October 1970. Martial law can be declared in cases of major natural disasters also; however most countries use a different legal construct, such as a "state of emergency".

Different things altogether ... and for anyone who lives in the Northeast today it is hardly surprising that states are declaring snow emergencies. Blizzard conditions, weather officials described the situation as life threatening for outdoor travel, and they simply cannot get to you if you get stranded.

Edit to add: This is what they are trying to avoid more of: 50 Vehicles Involved In Massive Pile-Up On I-80


[edit on 10 Feb 2010 by schrodingers dog]

reply to post by downtown436



People die in snow storms. Same shut downs happen in all the Northern states (and Canada) with storms - the rule is, stay home til it's over.

Yeah I listened to the whole thing too.

They are closing the interstate so they can safely get big equipment into where they need it to move the snow.

Sounds like they have that much snow they don't know what to do with it.

Send it to Canada

No Martial Law. More like anti Nimrod law. Amazingly, it is always the guy with bald tires who ignores the warnings to stay off the highway. Gotta git dem cigarettes ya know.

Some people just should not drive in these conditions. No point in putting an extra burden on an already strapped police and fire/paramedic service. They are struggling just to get their officers to report for duty safely.

[edit on 10-2-2010 by jibeho]

I lived in that area for 15 years. I can tell you this: people there do not know how to drive in that type of weather. This is the worst storm to hit it.

What would be the purpose of Maritial Law? The snow is going to melt soon and people will be back out and about.

There was a 50 car pile up on the highway in VA today. Sdog beat me to it.

The roads should be closed and people should be kept off them. It is not safe.


[edit on February 10th 2010 by greeneyedleo]

My area has been hit ridiculously hard. To those in the North and mid-West, it may seem a little strange that this amount of snow would cripple us here, but we simply have never had to deal with this amount of snow before. We just do not have the resources, because we have never had these kind of storms before. They just do not happen here. People are inexperienced in this weather and act foolishly as well, it can be pretty chaotic. This morning, for instance, the local news channel reported 142 accidents in a span of about 2 hours.

We just cannot handle this much longer.

I hope all the people affected by this have enough supplies to get by for a while.
In Indiana we just got through the last storm and now facing two new snow storms for the weekend. And we haven't had the snowfall totals PA. has. So two more to go in the forseeable future.
The National Guard was called in because the area in PA has so much snow and no-where to put it. They can plow the roads, but it has built up on the ditches on the sides of the roads and has become walls of snow. Interesting thread !

On the average, where I live, the town is closed down for a total of two weeks every winter. No-one gets out and no-one gets in. No mail, no gasoline trucks to top up service stations (no-one's driving anyways), no school, nothing... just shovelling snow.

The first thing that happens are the barriers going up on the highways out of town. I'd bet that the plows piling snow in front of on-ramps are an even more effective way to stop people from driving onto the freeways than a barricade which they can ignore and drive around. Perhaps they even ran out of barricades in this emergency.

Good move, imo. Multiple car pile-ups in snowstorms can be deadly.

I think companies like this will be doing ok this year. DC better get their orders in pronto.

www.michiganmelters.com...

www.snowdragonmelters.com...

Snow Dragon is from my neck of the woods.

Necessity is the mother of invention.

Originally posted by Avamarguy
Could be. More likely it is yet another example of how no one on the east coast of the US, south of Massachusetts, is able to cope with what is considered a dusting here in the Northeast

Erm ...

Denver annual snow totals: www.youtube.com...
Boston annual snow totals: wiki.answers.com...
Parts of Canada: www.gov.mb.ca... (in cm)

So FAR on the second week of Feb., at Dulles Airport No. Virginia/DC area: 72 inches or 180 cm. (heard this on local news, happy to provide link if you should so require)

Now, no doubt the less annual snowfall an region sees, the less they are familiar with driving/living conditions ... still, this idea that what we've been getting is a mere dusting compared to our northern neighbors is simply inaccurate. ANYONE would struggle with this particular "dusting" as you call it.

So there!

This is nothing new for us in PA. Having lived through some pretty bad winter conditions, this is common, though we haven't been hit this hard since the nineties.

The reason they blow the on ramps shut is because during a snow emergency it is illegal to drive on the highways. As of this point as far as I know, 99% of all state controlled highways are closed for entry. They take lines of 3-4 blows at once, tapered off so they can plow it and be done.

To anyone that does happen to get on the highway, they are either escorted off or given a nice fine. That is just the way things are. Personally, if somebody wants to be an idiot I say let them, especially since the only lives that are put in danger are their own and other idiots.

Give it til tomorrow, Friday at most and everything will be back to normal.

I live in the DC metropolitan area. I have been snowed in since Friday!. This is a record breaking storm here. Right this moment I have a grand total of 56" of snow on my deck! For an area that normally only gets at the most 4-8" of snow on a good snow storm...this is completely out of the ordinary. They are calling this the storm of the century here. Many,many side rural and city streets have not even been touched by plows. The few that have been out have gotten stuck. In fact reports of some that went out got stuck and ran out of gas sitting in their cars to keeps warm; blocking the roadways for the plow trucks. As far as Martial Law....that is not true. You are not aloud to be on the roads because it has become to dangerous and emergency crews would not be able to reach you! They just announced they have suspended salt and plow trucks temporarily until the storm ends due to 0 visibility. So NO MARTIAL LAW.

[edit on 2/10/2010 by CaptGizmo]