I came to the harsh realization today that Charleston, SC may not be the best place for me to live. Sure, it’s been voted USA’s No. 1 City for the 3rd year in a row but I think people are missing the big picture.
Most people visit Charleston and see our history, the beautiful beaches, the wonder that is downtown, etc. Most people don’t see Charleston at its worst. Most people don’t see Charleston when disaster strikes.
World, let it be known that we are not exactly well prepared when faced with an emergency. You do not want to be here when something big happens (e.g. the zombie apocalypse).
One of the big draws to Charleston is its weather. Our seasons are essentially varying degrees of warmth. When winter comes, we don’t fret. We know that we will still be having 70 degree days in the middle of January.
However, every once in a while, Old Man Winter decides to pay us a visit and Charleston goes absolutely apeshit.
This occurred today, in case you were curious. We’ve been warned for a few days now that our mild temperatures would drop to a crazy low (for us) in just a few hours time on Monday. Yesterday, I went into work wearing a sleeveless top but left wearing the biggest coat I could find, a scarf, and some adorable mittens. I watched the thermometer throughout the evening as it dropped into the 40s and then into the 30s.
There was no threat of rain. There was no threat of snow. It was just going to be cold. We can deal with that, right? RIGHT?
Wrong.
Before the temperature had even dropped into the 30s, the school districts in our county issued a delay.
Yep! Students got to sleep in an extra 2-3 hours because their parents don’t know how to put them in a fucking sweater! I couldn’t believe it.
I didn’t grow up in the North. I’m used to milder temperatures. However, I never got out of going to school because it may be slightly cold outside. Let’s also point out the fact that the temperature only dropped down to 18 degrees. Yeah, it’s cold, but it’s not “I’m going to freeze my nips off just by stepping outside cold.” Calm down, Charleston.
I haven’t even got to the worst part yet. I was one of the lucky ones that woke up this morning with power and water. Over 35,000 of my fellow Charleston residents were not so lucky. There was no ice, no snow, no heavy wind, to disrupt the power.
It just got cold. That’s it.
So in order to rectify the situation and prevent our power plants from imploding, SCE&G had to implement rolling blackouts today.
Because it got a little nippy outside. In January.
Perhaps if people wouldn’t crank up their heat to 80 degrees, thereby causing our electric system to lose part of its generating capacity, we wouldn’t have that problem but the stupidity of my fellow southerners shall be saved for another post.
So you see, Charleston is screwed if we’re ever faced with a real catastrophe. What will happen when the next hurricane hits? What about that massive earthquake everyone keeps warning us about? The zombies shouldn’t even come to Charleston as there are zero brains to feed on in this city!
I guess it’s time to leave Charleston and head somewhere safer (and a little more prepared). Any suggestions?
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Awesomeness Awaits at Yeah Write!
Arden Ruth 
i don’t know, but you might not want to new york!! haha. 🙂
Hah! Yeah, I’m not sure I could handle that 🙂
Mt. Pleasant. Definitely Mt. Pleasant. 😉
Hah! Yeah, at least our power never went out 🙂
Mine didn’t either!
Seriously? It is -40 with the wind chill here this week. The school buses aren’t running, but school is open. (Just imagaine what that means for the traffic. My 20 minute drive home took over an hour yesterday.) Living in Winnipeg, I am always amazed at cities that shut down for weather that here would only warrent pulling out the warmer pair of mitts.
Okay, so where do you live? I cannot do -40 so I’ll have to scratch that off my potential places to move list!
Seriously though, I’m with you. I grew up three hours away from here so the weather was slightly cooler but not bad. The only time we got out of school was for icy roads, which I completely understand for the buses. Charleston is just crazy!
LOL! Winnipeg, Manitoba. It’s actually a FANTASTIC place to live. You just need to dress for it 🙂
Whoops! Duh, you said that in your comment 🙂 I definitely want to visit someday, though preferably in the summer 🙂 Haha
Come in July. You would love our Fringe Festival. http://www.winnipegfringe.com/
If Charleston is screwed, then Los Angeles is fucked. Pardon my language, but we are absolute sissy wimps when it comes to weather.
Hah! Glad to know we’re not the only ones??
*Scratches LA off places to move list
If only.. nothing stops old man rainy vancouver.
Haha – My sister lives in Seattle so I know all about that kind of weather. It’s gorgeous up there though. I could definitely move there 🙂
Hahaha yes the weather is mild here compared to the east side, but a mothers incessant complaint of the rain does make its burgeoning way of brainwashing on you.
If that’s really you in the photo (not the mouse or baby one) then Friday Harbor for sure.
If you mean the large glassed buffoon, then yes! That is I.
I have not been to Friday Harbor yet. I may need to make a trip the next time I visit my sister!
I’m stalking the responses here for ideas…Richmond is the same way, and we get more inclement weather than y’all!
Ahhh yes. A friend of mine lives in Virginia and she sent me a photo of her 0 degree thermometer today. I could no longer complain.
I had friends in South Carolina and Georgia complaining similarly. I’m a Northerner, so I’d suggest you don’t move above the Mason-Dixon line if you like the mild winters.
I’ve also been snowed-in in Mobile, Alabama…
You might like Hawaii?
Great post!
Hmmm Hawaii. That does sound nice 🙂 Haha – Truth is, I love it here! I’ll just have to over-prepare for our next catastrophe.
Thanks for reading!
I was going to say anywhere on the west coast, because the weather is perfect without fail (think southern california), but… people are morons everywhere. And if your power is going out because it got cold, here the power goes out when it gets a little warmer than normal. But, at least here you don’t have to worry about hurricanes… just earthquakes.
Hmmm I do like California. And I’ve got plenty of morons here as well.
*Adds Cali to list
Not sure why I’d recommend California to anyone when I’m strong considering leaving…
But, you really can’t beat the weather. If that’s your goal.
The people aren’t very nice. The traffic stinks. The houses are all unaffordable. The schools are sub par. But, dammit, we’ve got some pretty beaches.
You should come to Charleston!! It’s great* 🙂
*Except for what I said in the post, but really, it’s awesome.
I’m in Jersey and it was 4 degrees today. I almost lost my mind when I read that schools were having delayed openings or were closing completely. For the COLD. I don’t understand. There is heat in the building, yes? We got phone calls at work yesterday asking if we would be open today. Seriously, people?
So, it’s not just Charleston. There are crazy people everywhere. 🙂
Hah! Good to know 🙂 I think it’s ridiculous! At the very least, I should have been able to go into work late too, you know?
Haha. In Chicago, we also had windchills 40 below zero. If we have a short distance to walk, some of us don’t even bother with the hats and gloves!
I read an article yesterday that your zoo’s polar bear had to be brought inside due to the cold. IT WAS TOO COLD FOR POLAR BEARS! 🙂
Haha! That is HILARIOUS. I have a severe dislike of cold weather but I do enjoy the chaos it brings to the world.
It’s ridiculous! Though, I know I’ll never move. We may all be idiots but it’s nice and toasty down here (most of the time) and I need that. 🙂
I wanna see a picture of your mittens!
Hah! 🙂 I love them!
Well my hubby’s nephew lives where you are and he says it’s nice? He got stationed there at an Air Force Base. Now he works for Boeing. Greta Post, and I’m a new fan! Hugs, *Catherine* 🙂
Yay! Thank you 🙂 It really is nice down here. I shouldn’t complain! Haha
Wow. I really can’t believe the delay for cold weather! Very funny post! I vote for the West Coast. I’m from Vegas and loved it there, but if we ever leave Germany (and don’t go to Vegas), I’m thinking Seattle.
I love Seattle. My sister and her family live there so I’m usually out there at least once a year. If my Mom wouldn’t kill me for moving that far, I’d probably do it 🙂 Haha
Students got to sleep in an extra 2-3 hours because their parents don’t know how to put them in a fucking sweater…LOL Really ? 😀 Well your worst part seems familiar as I open my eyes with no power and water many times 😛 I am sure Zonbies will find at least 1 brain and that is your’s 😛 LOVED this !
Hah! And I loved this comment 🙂 Thanks for reading!
OH MY GOD – I live in Charlotte and our county did the EXACT same thing and I went on a huge rant about it this morning as they did it two days in a row – with the county saying they needed to “protect our children”. I’m just like, YOU have GOT to be shitting me. You mean our kids, god forbid, can’t stand at the bus stop for 10 minutes in a jacket????? Then I started in on the whole diatribe about WHEN I WENT TO SCHOOL….i had to walk up freezing steps in the dead of Pittsburgh winter!!! Girl, I feel YOU.
Haha! I have a feeling our schools did it again today too as traffic was way too light this morning! At least we’re not the only crazy ones! 🙂 Haha
My pleasure 🙂
Going by the empty grocery store shelves here the day before we had a 3 day cold snap I would say nowhere is safe. Every single time bad weather is forecast, people go out and buy all the bread and all the milk as if they’re going to need to hunker down for six months instead of one day.
Hah! We definitely do that here too. My hometown was the worst. The grocery stores would be ransacked and then it wouldn’t even snow.
You’re so lucky to get 70 degrees temperature in the month of January 2014. Our temperatures in Newfoundland hate to go up,it keeps going below 8 or less with no sign of improvement.
Oh my goodness – I would have to become a hermit!
Man… I wish I grew up in Charleston. Here in Denver, we never got a snow day as long as our headmaster could walk to campus. He lived on campus.
So we only every had a snow day when we got 6 feet of snow. Anything less was just paltry.
That is crazy for us down South. If there is even a hint of snow, our entire state shuts down 🙂
I think just about everywhere you live, people will panic when you get out of the ordinary weather. In the DC area, we usually get a big snowfall every other years, but everyone still goes nuts when it happens.
Well at least y’all actually get snow. 🙂 We panic at the mention of snow!
You should move to Raleigh with me. Yep. This is your final answer. Promise.
Hah! I’d love to but Charleston is hard to leave 🙂