The chance to create a Snow Angel was too good to pass up.
Winter Storm Gianna came in like a lamb late Friday, Feb. 2 and roared out of Bladen County overnight Saturday, Feb. 3.
By the time folks woke up Sunday, Feb. 4, Bladen County was covered in powdery white snow and roads were slick with ice. Everything shut down and people hunkered down.
Although totals always vary depending on location, the National Weather Service’s preliminary map recorded nine inches of snow fell in Bladenboro and six inches in Elizabethtown.
Reader-submitted snow photos: Part 1
Reader-submitted snow photos: Part 2
Reader-submitted snow photos: Part 3
Overall, Bladen County fared well during and after the storm, according to Bladen County Emergency Services director Joey Coleman.
“In Bladen we’re not typically accustomed to this type of weather,” Coleman said last week. “We don’t have a lot of equipment that is specific towards this type of weather. I told everybody if we’ll be patient with traveling and communicate real good with each other, coordinate what resources we do have, I think it will be OK, and that’s what happened.”
Light snow began falling in portions of Bladen County between 9 p.m. and 10 p.m. Friday, Feb. 2. By mid-morning Saturday, Feb. 3, grounds were covered with a light snow, then stopped. As it turned out, Gianna was just taking a break. Snow resumed by late afternoon, picked up overnight and made travel almost impossible by Sunday, Feb. 4.
Church services were cancelled Sunday, Feb. 4, many businesses were closed or had reduced hours for a few days, Bladen Community College closed for four days and Bladen County Schools switched to remote learning for three days last week.
While the storm did result in some inconveniences for everyone, Coleman said there were no reported injuries nor major damage. There also were extremely limited power outages and Coleman wasn’t sure those were storm related.
Coleman praised workers with the N.C. Department of Transportation for clearing main roads in Bladen County.
“It’s absolutely expected that they are going to take care of our main corridors first,” Coleman said. “They were getting to the secondary (roads) as best as they could.
Coleman added it helped emergency personnel that people seemed to be prepared for the storm and heeded warnings.
“That’s got to be the plan here,” Coleman said. “We’re not used to stuff like this. Hopefully, it won’t become a thing.”
Bladen County Schools operated on a two-hour delay Thursday, Feb. 5.
By Friday, Feb. 6 and into the weekend, the sun was expected to shine brightly, skies were to be clear and Bladen County would finally be able to begin drying out.
Sonny Jones can be reached at [email protected].