Some people seem to be able to remember the weather on a particular date like April 19. I mostly don't have that ability, but a few dates stick with even me. I had lost track of how many years ago it happened, but as I listened to weather forecasts here in SD over the last few days, I was thinking about when the Oklahoma bombing had occured since that morning we were digging out from under several feet of wet snow and kids were home because school had been canceled. And then, to kind of remind me of that again, parts of western South Dakota today had snow emergencies declared with two feet or more of wet snow blanketing some towns near northern end of SD Black Hills.
South Dakota Activates Emergency Operations Center
As Many as 10,000 Without Power in Lead, Deadwood, Spearfish, Sturgis and Belle Fourche
PIERRE, S.D. – Due to severe weather conditions and extensive power outages in the western part of South Dakota, the state is activating its emergency operations center.
Areas north of Sturgis are experiencing widespread power outages. As many as 10,000 people are currently without power. Most of Deadwood, Lead, Spearfish, Whitewood, Belle Fourche, as well as the counties of Butte, Lawrence, and portions of Meade are without power. There is intermittent power and phone service. Emergency shelters have been set up at the Whitewood volunteer fire department, the WhitewoodBaptistChurch, and the Belle Fourche recreation center.
Many communication capabilities to the northwest portion of the state have been knocked out due to ice and high winds. Of particular concern is the current inability to communicate with people who may have immediate medical needs. If you have friends or family in the affected area who may bein need of medical attention, please contact the emergency operations center at 605.773.3231.
The Lead area has already received 24 inches of snow and is experiencing 40-60 mile an hour winds. Interstate 90 from Rapid City to the Wyoming border is closed to westbound traffic. Interstate 90 from the Wyoming border to Blackhawk is closed to eastbound traffic.
http://blackhillsportal.com/npps/story.cfm?id=1581
And 11 years ago remembered in Oklahoma City.......
Eleven years after the deadliest act of domestic terrorism in U.S. history, survivors, terrorism experts and law enforcement authorities fear that lessons learned from the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing are being forgotten as the nation focuses on international threats.
"The minute we forget, some of those people are going to strike again," Coverdale said.
Six years before the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, a cargo truck packed with two tons of ammonium nitrate and fuel oil was detonated in front of the nine-story Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building on April 19, 1995, killing 168 people – including 19 children – and injuring hundreds more.
"The loss of life there and the children – it was a staggering crime and a staggering attack," said former FBI Director Louis Freeh, who headed the agency during the bombing investigation.
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/nation/20060416-1117-bombinganniversary.html
More at the sites and I'm sure Google would turn up much more. But, in my mind for a long time, a very wet heavy snow here and the Oklahoma City Bombing will be linked.
I was half watching TV that morning. Kids were half shoveling and half playing in snow in front of house. I think Matlock or some similar shlock was on TV. I saw something about bombing and people running and thought it was part of the show. Then the news flash logos came on and the actual CBS network news people came on the screen.
Besides the residue that terrible crime left in our laws reducing more of our fundamental rights in a righteous war on domestic terrorism, the snow killed tens of thousands of pheasants in the immediate area around Winner in a strip about 20 miles wide and perhaps 50 miles long from SW to NE. Prior to the snow, we had counted hundreds of pheasants flying out of our trees one evening. After that spring late heavy rain followed by wet snow, we never heard or saw a pheasant around the farm for nearly a year.
Pheasant populations are up again. I hope we are past the time for another snowstorm here.
***Stay tuned even if it is only sort of like "and..that's the way it was"--Doug Wiken
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