The final days of Advent have been made memorable by the arrival of real winter weather — several inches of thick, dry snow that stuck and stayed — and kept coming. Along with the snow came ice, wind and bad driving conditions, hassles and headaches. Firefighters, police and maintenance workers have been extremely busy, handling everything from a major house fire to checking on burst water pipes, seeing about a three-year-old boy out alone in the snow to responding to a false alarm caused by burning popcorn at an office building. City snow plows were out doing what they could, clearing roads and shutting off dangerous streets. The city set up its emergency operational center at City Hall and was well prepared in case the situation worsened. We were ready.

For those who could enjoy the snow without having to be somewhere, it was beautiful, the scenes reminiscent of a holiday card. Kids grabbed sleds and plastic dishes to ride down Island slopes, screaming and yelling to their heart’s content. Parents, chagrined that school was out early, could at least send their kids out to tire themselves in the snow and often joined them as well. Neighbors checked in on one another, chatting on the street or at the grocery store. Everyone had a snow story to tell.

This recent bout of severe weather serves as one more warning to be prepared. If the Island had experienced the high winds that were initially forecasted, the situation could be much different — just as terrible as the weather of 2006-2007. Let’s remain vigilant. Let’s make sure we thank and acknowledge all who cleared our streets and kept their stores open. If nothing else, these days should serve as a reminder of the mighty power of nature and just how much we take our ability to master the environment for granted.

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