Mini Cast: Snow and the City

Well, and snow in the country … and in the small towns. Actually, snow everywhere! 

How does severe weather – specifically blizzards – impact the lives of Americans? It can have positive affects, such as providing a shared bonding experience for community members (as we know all too well here in Buffalo). It can change the outcome of politics and influence city planning and urban management. Of course, it can also leave tragedy in its wake. In this episode, Tommy, Dan and Sarah discuss some famous historic storms and their human toll.

The Blizzard of 1977 hit upstate New York fiercely, making roads nearly impassable.| Public Domain /Wikimedia Commons

Show Notes & Further Reading 

Applebaum, Yoni. “Blizzards and the Birth of the Modern Mayor.” The Atlantic, January 25, 2015.

Christiano, G. J. “The Blizzard of 1888; the Impact of This Devastating Storm on New York Transit.” NYC Subway.

Grabar, Henry. “The Secret History of Snowstorms: How Blizzards Shaped the Modern American City.” Salon, February 1, 2015.

McKelvey, Blake. Snow in the Cities: A History of America’s Urban Response. Rochester: University of Rochester Press, 1995.

Laskin, David. The Children’s Blizzard. New York: Harper Perennial, 2004.

Shepard, Richard F. “Recalling the Blizzard of 1888.” The New York Times, January 14, 1988.

Wade, Jared. “A History of Blizzards.” Risk Management, February 1, 2011.

Wilder, Laura Ingalls. The Long Winter. New York: Harper Tribute, 2007.

Feature Image: Extracted from King’s Handbook of New York City by Moses King, 1893 | Public Domain/ Wikimedia Commons