RALEIGH – A surprise snowfall early Wednesday afternoon sent fire units scrambling to multiple medical calls, vehicle accidents, and single-engine response fire alarms. Though only about an inch accumulated in the Capital City, melting snow on the roadways soon refroze due to the low temperatures.
Early-closing schools and businesses soon clogged the slick streets with a record number of cars and buses. The resulting congestion stalled traffic and slowed emergency responses on both major thoroughfares and popular cross streets. Gridlock also hampered the efforts of crews clearing snow and applying sand.
Tire chains were ordered onto fire apparatus about 2:30 p.m. Gridlock persisted on major roads into the early evening and increasingly poor road conditions affected response times to some incidents. Dozens of abandoned cars littered roadways and firefighters assisted some stranded motorists with finding shelter. Routine commutes took as long as ten hours for some drivers.
Multiple-vehicle accidents occurred throughout the afternoon, though no serious injuries were reported. The Raleigh Police Department responded to 422 vehicle accidents between 11 a.m. and 9 p.m., with another 60 reported accidents pending. By midnight, officers were taking information over the phone for minor wrecks.
Units also responded to a working apartment fire at 1209 Holman Street around 8 p.m. Car 72 and Truck 1 were first on scene and reported fire showing from a second floor window. Engine 1, Engine 13, Engine 2, Rescue 7, Battalion 3, and SR 5 also responded. Both the room and its contents were destroyed.
By 10 p.m., approximately 350 school buses were still on the road. Another 3,000 children around the county were being sheltered at 56 schools for the night. Major arteries including both the Beltline and New Bern Avenue remained stalled into the late evening. By 11 p.m., Governor Mike Easley had declared a state of emergency for Wake County, allowing state government buildings to be opened as shelters. Other motorists slept overnight in their cars.
The fire department answered 152 calls between 0800 hours Wednesday and 0800 hours Thursday, nearly a 50% increase over the average volume of 82 calls per day.