Many gave help hands in blizzard

Talk about it

It’s nothing short of a miracle that no lives were lost during a blizzard March 11 in North Dakota that stranded more than 800 motorists.

First responders and volunteers rescued the motorists during a storm that left vehicles stranded, roads closed and power cut off. But because of the cooperation of multiple agencies and individuals, no lives were lost.

Law enforcement agencies, medical professionals, North Dakota’s National Guard, Department of Transportation, Game and Fish Department, and countless others aided the travelers, checking on them and either transporting or guiding them to shelters. Some of those shelters were located in Jamestown, Medina and Cleveland. Red Cross volunteers served about 1,000 meals to the stranded Saturday.

Some of the most heroic include farmers and business owners who don’t wear badges, weren’t paid and risked their safety to help those left stranded out of the goodness of their hearts.

* Medina’s lone gas station, Cenex, remained open long past closing hours.

* Cleveland and Medina residents baked goods, shared bedding and welcomed the storm’s guests to their towns, defining the term “North Dakota nice.”

* Medina Public School opened its doors to those who needed it, allowing them use of the school’s gymnasium, library and computers.

* Gene Guthmiller was one of several residents who drove his personal vehicle back and forth from Medina to the interstate Friday evening, guiding and transporting stuck motorists. Instead of driving himself home, Guthmiller drove his truck, equipped with tracks instead of tires, to help the stranded. He could help more out there than at home, he said.

Surely, the safety and well-being of dozens of motorists can be attributed to these agencies and individuals.

These are just examples of the many who contributed to the safety and security of the stranded motorists that night. Many of them likely won’t get credit, but all their deeds were appreciated.

While we are thankful for all their work, it must be said: many of these motorists had no business on those roads.

At lunchtime on March 11, the sun shined and the temperature was relatively warm but weather forecasters had warned of this storm for days. Within a few hours, visibility was reduced to zero.

Heed nature’s warnings, advised Beth Dewald, executive director of the Buffalo Valley Chapter of the American Red Cross. We agree.

We’re grateful so many helped others in a time of need. We’re so thankful no lives were lost in this storm. We should use this experience to prepare ourselves for storms in the future. Most important: keep track of the weather and heed warnings issued.

Stay safe and help others stay safe, too.

(Editorials are the opinion of Jamestown Sun management and the newspapers editorial board)

Tags: opinion, editorials, blizzards