Chattanooga (and vicinity) is one dry town right now.
As I typed this late Dec. 31, this is what Chattanooga had for weather:
Dew Point: 9°
Winds:15
Gusts: 20 mph (likely worse around downtown, buildings create tunnels of strong wind down streets)
Wind Chill 13°
Chattanooga later fell for awhile to -5° wind-chill (official via airport). That is wind chill low enough to kill some in poor health.
Even if we could get a snowflake at 9° dew-point; who could see it in this wind?
Unspoken in the cold is that fire danger in our tiny valley is outrageous right now. It is frightening to think about.
Who is working tonight, while wind chills go to single negative digits? Imagine a brush or building fire in this wind, this cold. Fire departments across our area include many people working for no pay with a dozen personnel in whole counties.
Now think of the:
Police
Sheriff (including many sheriff's: 100 percent current credentialed, many being certified trainers, for exactly zero dollars a year).
Rescue squads (most are 100 percent volunteer)
Red Cross
Salvation Army
Social services, doctors, nurses, EMT's...
Many had to seek special legislation so that volunteering in un-Godly conditions would not put their professional insurance pool at risk.
Electrical, natural gas…
The FEMA courses these folks have to complete to interact with the federal government in emergencies are now some 250 hours of class/study time that almost all just volunteer. Because it is right to do so.
When’s the last time you stopped and thanked the folks from the city or county for just cleaning brush out of the storm drains so we don’t flood as fast when it does rain?
When you're out there in this miserable cold, look at that police car, workers truck; the exhausted and quietly miserable men and women; not paid a fraction of what they are worth. Say a prayer for them and their families, please.
Remember: you are not alone.
Jim Bowman