People Rescued But Highways Still Closed

Portions Of Interstates 78, 80 And 81 In Pennsylvania Have Been Shut Since Wednesday's Ice/Snow Storm

(CBS/AP)  The last of hundreds of motorists who had been stranded on Interstate 78 were finally sprung loose Friday morning but the highway remained shut down as crews struggled to clear ice and snow from the road surface.

"It took us a couple of days to get a lot of disabled vehicles, especially tractor-trailers, off the road so we could get back in and deal the 4- to 6-inch ice layer that has formed on many spots," DOT spokesman Rich Kirkpatrick said in a telephone interview.

State Transportation Secretary Allen D. Biehler said Friday that I-78, as well as large portions of I-81 and I-80, would remain closed so crews and salt trucks could attack the icy mixture that coated the pavement and became rock-hard as overnight temperatures plummeted.

"Interstate 81 is closed in both directions between the Fort Indiantown Gap area, just east of Harrisburg, and the Wilkes-Barre area," Kirkpatrick said. The closure of I-80 stretches from "roughly the Bloomsburg area in north-central Pennsylvania and U.S. 209 in the Pocono Mountains region."

Rest areas on open parts of Interstate 78 were "full to the rafters" with truckers who have nowhere to go, reports CBS radio station KYW-AM.

Sean Brown, a PennDOT spokesman, said Friday morning, "We have plow trucks out there, we have graders out there, we have loaders out there, just hammering away at it."

The work continued a day after National Guardsmen in Humvees ferried food, fuel and baby supplies to motorists who had been stranded on a 50-mile stretch of I-78 in eastern Pennsylvania for nearly 24 hours — the victims of a Valentine's Day storm that dumped snow, sleet and freezing rain on most of the state.

State officials, under mounting criticism, said they were unable to prevent the colossal jam. Several jackknifed tractor trailers stacked up traffic, and even after they were cleared, the big rigs behind them were unable to get any traction and got stuck themselves, state police said.

PennDOT estimated that at one point there were hundreds of tractor-trailers stuck. Some trucks were stranded by road conditions, while others ran out of fuel or their fuel froze.

But drivers were outraged, especially ones who had unwittingly blundered into the jam on Thursday.

State police did not close all the entrance ramps to I-78 until around 5 p.m. Thursday, more than 24 hours after cars and trucks started getting caught. Officials could not provide an explanation for why it took so long.

"Why would they have that exit open if they were just going to let us sit there?" said a crying Deborah Miller. Her 5-year-old son was trapped in the car with her, running a 103-degree fever from strep throat.

"How could you operate a state like this? It's totally disgusting," said Eugene Coleman, of Hartford, Conn., who was trapped for 20 hours with his girlfriend and pregnant daughter. "God forbid somebody gets really stuck on the highway and has a life-threatening emergency. That person would have died."

Gov. Ed Rendell declared a statewide disaster emergency, which authorizes state agencies to use all available resources and personnel and which waives some bidding and contract procedures. He also announced that tolls would be waived for 24 hours on the Pennsylvania Turnpike.

[actornaught]

somewhere in conditions between soft falling raindrops and screaming firey balls of plummeting lava, the only people out on the roads become just the stubborn and the stupid.

if you're out in bad conditions, you have to take responsibility for becoming part of it and not expect the state to work miracles.

[mgpm-2009]

Look, unless you are a brain surgeon going to a life threatening surgery, WHY would you travel during an ICE storm? There is an ice storm...STAY where you are...spring for a hotel if you have to, and wait it out.

Anyone that is travelling with a child with a fever or a pregnant woman in an ice storm is out of their minds. I don't blame the state at all for this mess. I blame the drivers. They didn't need the state to tell them the weather. All they had to do was look up.

[abigail4476]

Once again, blaming the government for acts of nature. Wow. The IQ's never cease to amaze me. How about: Watch the weather before you travel and make an INTELLIGENT decision, THEN hold yourSELF responsible when you make the wrong one!!!!

Sheesh.

[cepe10-2009]

Love the blame game of Col. Jeffrey B. Miller of the Penn. State Police. Motorists should have just stayed off the roads??? In which case why weren't they closed to traffic. His excuse and smoke sceen is a classic example of using the blame game to take away from his departments total incompetance. The Penn state Police were obviously among the first to be aware of the blockages yet did little to nothing about it. I hope one day he becomes aware of where his salary comes from.

[chubby505]

Instead of blaming others and complaining about the situation, think about all of the adults, children and animals who suffered in their cars. I do not think it is a pleasure to spend a day in the car, without a bathroom, heat, hot water, food, water, a telephone, and possibly all alone trying to get somewhere for a family emergency. Instead of complaing and blaming the govenment, be happy you were not the one stuck in the auto all day and have a bit of compassion for others.

[pagirl6]

trust me, the troopers know exactly where their pay comes from. You expect the troopers to go around and post signs everywhere, but then crucify them for not helping the stranded! they are human and can't do everything! if you can do a better job, than do it yourself. If people are too stupid to realize what the weather is doing when they are looking out the car window driving and pay attention to the constant news & RADIO reports like responsible people (not to many cars out their without a radio anymore) instead of living in their own selfish "inconvenienced" word, then they deserved to have been stranded! It wasn't rocket science to see it was snow, ice, and freezing rain...which they had been calling for for almost a week!People need to take responsiblity for their actions instead of blaming others.

[elgraz]

It is very unfortunate when such things happen. But Mother Nature can be nasty. Maybe she is not too happy these days with us humans. If you want to see disaster and its consequences, suggest that you all see what horrendous damage a tornado can do. There is no comparison between the results of a snow storm and a tornado.

[rickp_va]

Having travelled Rt 78 many times, I fully understand how horrendous the conditions can be on that road. In good conditions it is a dangerous road due to the heavy truck volume and the hilly terrain. Having once been stuck on this road for six hours due to a truck accident, I blame the state and local police for not blocking the entrances and making people exit prior to the backup. Had they done this when I was stuck, thousands fo motorists would not have been in this backup. Yes, people should have more sense to travel in weather like this, but traffic control would have gone a long way to prevent this hugh backup. Regardless of what decisions were made in terms ofwhen and how to plow the road, shutting it down would have facilitated the clearing of the roads and possibly saved some lives.

[jetlizhan]

now does anyone really think any official wanted this mess to happen? of course not - i'm sure everyone did the best they could, but unfortunately it wasn't good enough. just be thankful you weren't in this horrendous situation - i sure am.

[adventurepa]

A snow Mobile, Lots of coffee and cases of dunken donuts would have made someone rich.
They would have loved you and hated you at the same time. But at least it would have been better then what the state did to help.

[aaabee-2009]

People get scared when they know they have done something foolish and then lash out at anyone or anything around them.

That storm was wreaking havoc everywhere but these people paid no attention. Deaths shouldn't be blamed on the storm. Storms are passive. It is humans making the decision to travel in bad conditions, many without checking the weather on tv or internet, and many leaving home without even stocking up the car like it should be.

It is winter. Snow happens. Put more effort into winter travel preperation before leaving home, instead of channeling effort into blaming others. Blaming officials is unfair. They didnt' want you out there in the first place.

[pagirl6]

it's really ridiculous to blame the state. REALITY CHECK! how many roads are in PA? way more than just this one and if anyone thinks the entire state should have been working on just this road because of they were stuck in this back up, then they are very self-centered! how many troopers are there in PA? people need to realize each area is has a few troopers and the storm was effecting the entire state. how many plow/salt trucks & employees/contractors that are qualified to operate them are there? once again, theree was more than just this one road to tend to. maybe the people condeming the state's actions shold moving here and fix the "problems" because the all people interviewed were from out-of-state and seem to have all teh answers.People's stupidity,lack of common sense, & attitudes are to blame for the back-up. The storm was predicted for a week or more....it was reported for days & days & days on the news, on the weather channel, on the radio, EVERYWHERE! Anyone that isn't blind could see what the weather was going to do/doing and if you are blind - your could listen to the reports! The advisories ALL said to STAY OFF the roads. THERE WAS NO EXCUSE TO BE OUT THERE!

[pagirl6]

p.s. the only death listed above was NOT in the back-up, it man putting chains on his farm tractor

[processor2]

Where is the "global warming" that idiot left-wing-nuts have been promising us ???

"global warming" will help me with my heating bills, so I can save some of my social security check for medicine.

.....

[neitherone]

" idiot left-wing-nuts " ? How constuctive :)

Global warming doesn't reflect in the episodical cold snaps. Instead it reflects in the average temperatures throughout the year which had be steadily rising.

[processor2]

Where is the "global warming" that idiot left-wing-nuts have been promising us ???

"global warming" will help me with my heating bills, so I can save some of my social security check for medicine.

.....

[dragonmouse-2009]

I really can't relate to all this snow considering where I am we rarely see above a few inches. But...for those that were stuck on the freeway for all those hours without "water"... isn't snow water????

I honestly don't know the answer because like I said I've NEVER experienced a situation like this but if they weren't going anywhere couldn't they have just stepped out for a moment and scooped up some of this massive snow and "eaten" it or bring it in the vehicle and let it melt?

Even though it was "cold" couldn't they have gotten out...walked around the vehicle for a bit then gotten back in just to strech their legs?

I don't know what those little barricades between the highways are but the one going in the other direction seems quite "clear" I don't know why they couldn't break those down and start diverting traffic. So what if you couldn't go the way you wanted there's bound to be a safe haven or shelter till things clear up a bit going the other way.

But what do I know...I'm where the HOT is. We turn on our air conditioners to make it cold enough to light a fire.

[pluto167]

I hope everyone learns to stay off the roads unless absolutely necessary and to keep a 24 hour supply of snacks, drinks, blankets and needed medication in the car in the event of an emergency. Even in clear weather it's a good idea to keep at least food and drink available, especially during the cold weather months.

[nolalou]

processor2, Global Warming is a theory suppored by many reputible scientests. You don't have to belive it, but claiming it's only supported by left-wing nuts is simply not true!

As neitherone said , global warming dosn't mean there will be no more cold weather. It's a general warming trend over time. You can't expect it to suddenly just stop snowing because of global warming.

[wa_state_bob]

"How could you operate a state like this?" said Eugene Coleman, of Hartford, Conn. HOW COULD YOU BE SUCH AN IDIOT to go driving when the storm had been top news for 24 hours before it arrived? What an imbecile!

[lanaedawn]

I hate when people have to always find someone to blame for a bad situation. Its standard precaution to keep water, blankets and nonperishable foodstuff in your car in case of emergencies like this. And, this storm wasn't a surprise, people knew it was going to be coming and could be bad. Why can't some of these motorists just admit that they were irresponsible and tried to beat the storm, or didn't heed warnings and weren't prepared.

What kind of society do we live in when no one takes responsibility for anything?

[pagirl6]

actually, most police & emergency personnel were working - hence the term "essential personnel". They are ordered in & there is not calling off. Those guys have to think of everyone else before themselves or their families and were out there much longer than the 10-20 hrs that the people "stuck" were. People don't die of starvation or dehydration in 10-20 hrs. Neither do animals. yes, if they were that thirsty, melt the snow - but it's dangerous to get out in the ice. I had a relative (a off emergency person) that was killed after getting out of his car in bad weather to help at an accident scene.

[sunshine502]

It is a shame in todays society that everybody still feels the need to point fingers and pass the blame instead of owning their own problem. Yes maybe the state should have closed hwy 78, however in a state of emergency the unfortunate people on this road were not the only ones in need. There was a whole state effectd by this weather and only so many personel to take care of the most important needs. It is up to each individual to own responsability for their own actions which put them on that road that day, weather it was a true emergency or travel for fun, they chose to be out in wheather that state officials had already declared dangerous and warned on TV and Radio with no unneccessary travel advisorys. It amazes me how people still get angry at those in charge and around them when they fail to do what is asked and get into trouble and suffer the consequence, when they truly have no one to blame but themselves for not listening and following directions. Isn't this the basic values we teach our children. To listen to people in authority and follow directions. OOPS....maybe I'm wrong, maybe that's why we go around wondering where did we go wrong and why are todays children not listening. Hmmmmmmmmm. We lead by example.

seems to me the big mistake was to close the highway, but not the entrance ramps.

and instead of letting the jammed up traffic through - they just kept it closed.

What a bunch of idiots! reminds me of the time there was a ten mile backup because the toll collectors called in sick so only one toll collector was open for the rush hour.

Typical government performance...

[zibulki]

Stuck on planes, stuck in cars, maybe traveling isn't the greatest of ideas during an ice storm.

[mrassekh]

So, george2221, did you actually write Roger up?

[mdc76082]

Responsibility begins with the individual. Any idiot that took to travelling during a storm like this one deserves to get stuck. And any idiot that endangers their family members by packing them in the car and driving through a storm like this is nothing short of a MORON! I liked the individual on the TV who b_itched about how it was everyone else's fault. All except her stupid, dumb_ass husbands fault for driving them out there in this weather. It doesn't matter where you are at...STAY PUT and DON'T VENTURE OUT! When people won't listen...People die and then it's everyone else's fault but their. STUPID PEOPLE DESERVE THE HARDSHIPS THEY CAUSE THEMSELVES. I just felt sorry for the kids for having to live with such stupid parents.

[trifidpa]

As a Trucker's wife and a Pennsylvania resident, this situation was bad. Talking to drivers all over in this storm, Pennsylvania has disgraced us in their handling of the storm. Ohio AND New Jersey did a decent job of having crews get started right away and try to stay on top on the storm. Of all the states hit with this, Pennsylvania is the one in the top spot about highways closed and accidents. If they know there is a hill on the highway that ALWAYS cause problems in bad weather, then they should have been working on it intensely to begin with, not wait for wrecks and close the highway.

Some have called the trucker driver from CT an idiot for driving in the storm ... then answer me where should he go? PA and the whole Northeast USA lack badly on truck stops and rest areas because everyone screams "Not in my backyard" when one is proposed. These same people will be mad when their store shelves go bare cause no one delivered the shipment!

Oh yea, if you don't want to blame PA ... why are all the major highways STILL closed today?

[llory]

States in the west and midwest have dealt with this problem by having gates across the entrance ramps to major highways. These gates could then be closed at the discretion of the highway department if a road is determined to be unsafe for travel. Last summer while in Wyoming, we had to detour around a highway that was closed with a gate because of a nearby fire. Although in this case a gate might not have helped the people immediately behind the original accident, it would have kept I 78 from becoming a 50 mile parking lot. A lot of the problem could also have been eliminated by people just using their heads and checking road conditions before getting on the highway.

[pagirl6]

it IS the individual driver's responsibility. it's not as though people were driving along on a warm sunny day and the as soon as they wen tup the ramp - poof - it became a hazardous ice storm. they had prior knowledge from being warmed a week in advance of the storm coming. NJ & OH had their own weather pattern, this section of PA had it's weather pattern....every area is different, so comparing states isn't a valid argument. As for the trucking companies - they had knowledge and should be investigated for endangering their drivers...they willingly & knowingly pushed their drivers to drive in hazardous conditions...if I were a driver, i rethink continuing employment with those companies.

[pagirl6]

p.s. - it doesn't say if the guy from CT is a truck driver...it reads as though he, his pregant wife, and their child were in a car.

[bobmcl2006]

There were errors in both drivers and response. An emergency should have been declared much earlier. The Governor has admitted the State's failure. Hopefully, this has been a learning experience to all involved. Thanks to my fellow Pennsylvanians that took it upon themselves to help the stranded travelers.

[paramunch]

I hold the Pennsylvania Highway DOT responsible. There is no information posted on the Federal Highway or State Highway web pages about this road closure. I have also previously checked several independent travel advisory websites using the route from Mass to Hershey, PA. I was unable to find anyone reporting a disturbance on route 78 in PA. If PA DOT updated their site many of these and other travelers would have the information to make an informed decision. Especially my salesman who I advised incorrectly to take this route; after checking these web sites.