Nine Catastrophes Worse Than Snow: #5

5. Tsunamis

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There is a reason that killer waves have movies made about them.  Tsunamis are terrifying.  I know that areas at risk of tsunamis usually get warning in the form of the earthquake tremors that cause them and thus are often able to evacuate, but the devastation is still tremendous even if few lives are lost.  Just like floods and wildfires, they can take away everything you own in a matter of minutes.  But they also have the additional ability of annihilating significantly larger areas.  And if they head towards an area with few warning systems, the consequences are deadly.

~Sarah Jane

Nine Catastrophes Worse Than Snow: #6

6. Wildfires

NPS Photo by Jeff Henry / Yellowstone National Park

Thanks to meeting Smokey the Bear at the Great New York State Fair, I know that wildfires do happen in New York, often in the Adirondacks during the summer.  And in the Finger Lakes we often live through "burn bans" in July or August as an effort to lower the risk of brush fires out in the country.  But I can't think of anywhere in New York where huge, unstoppable fires but entire metropolitan areas are at risk, like in some areas of the US.  

I know that controlled burns are often done as a method of reseeding dying forests, or to create fire blocks so a forest fire won't continue to spread to homes and businesses.  But sometimes forest fires start by accident and are hard to control.  I can't imagine knowing that a fire was headed towards my home, and having to watch as it destroyed everything I owned.

~Sarah Jane

Nine Catastrophes Worse Than Snow: #7

7. Flooding 

Image courtesy of Witthaya Phonsawat / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

As with droughts and dust storms, flooding is usually easy to predict.  There are some areas of New York where flooding is a concern, especially during heavy rainstorms or winter thaws, but it's not a huge issue for most of the Finger Lakes region.  It's pretty rare in New York for homes to be completely washed away or destroyed due to flooding.  Yet every year in the spring we see news reports of people in other areas of the country being rescued from roofs and trees, or being washed away or drowning during flash floods.  I think I'd rather shovel my driveway every day for a year than require being airlifted off the roof of a barn.

~Sarah Jane

Nine Catastrophes Worse Than Snow: #8

8. Dust Storms

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A side effect of drought and poor farming practices, dust storms seem like they'd be rather unpleasant to experience.  Reports of respiratory illnesses, dirt coming into houses through invisible crevices, and what appears to be whiteout-like driving conditions (do you call them brownouts?) are all reasons I'd like to avoid this sort of situation.  And let's not forget an aspect of dust storms that has affected all high school students in the US: being forced to read John Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath, which was a fictionalized portrayal of the Dust Bowl and the effect of dust storms on it's inhabitants during the 1930s.

~Sarah Jane

Nine Catastrophes Worse Than Snow: #9

9. Drought

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Growing up in an agricultural environment, I learned early on that drought can be devastating.  Even in New York, it can destroys farmers' livelihoods and drive up food prices.  

But in some parts of our country it can be a much more serious situation.  Besides harming farmers, it increases the risk of fires and can even cause health problems when wind whips dust and dirt into the air to be inhaled.  Less dangerous, but still problematic, it can result in communities putting uncomfortable restrictions on water use, even for bathing or washing clothes.  So while there is no reason for anyone to die due to drought, having your well run dry and not being allowed to wash your clothes is not something I would seek out to avoid a bit of snow.

~Sarah Jane

Nine Catastrophes Worse Than Snow: Introduction

Probably the biggest detraction from visiting the Finger Lakes in the winter (or deciding to reside here permanently) is snow.  Between Lake Erie and Lake Ontario, our region receives a significant  amount of lake effect snow, which might seem intimidating but is really quite tolerable considering the extreme weather and natural events that are inflicted upon other areas of the United States.  

Probably considered a major disaster by someone living south of 
Pennsylvania, this wouldn't even make most CNYers late for work.

I can't say that I especially love snow, but I don't find it nearly as horrific as the media would like everyone to believe.  I know it's a disaster when it occurs in some parts of the country, but snow in central New York is no big deal.  Our plow guys know how to get it off the roads, our roofs are purposely built to handle the weight, and, because traffic doesn't stop completely at the first snowflake, we can pretty much go about our normal daily lives without too much inconvenience.

Besides having to brush off your car if you don't have a garage and the need for appropriate winter apparel (who doesn't love a good pea coat?), snow really isn't a big concern in the Finger Lakes.  We are given days to prepare if there happens to be a bigger storm coming our way.  Preparations pretty much consist of buying some canned soup and making sure you have a blanket and a book to read if your driveway isn't the first to get plowed out.  If you really like to be prepared, you might have a kerosene heater or a generator in case the power goes out.  I know the kerosene heater came in handy both times the power went out at my house due to inclement weather over the last 31 years.  In the end, as long as you have food, water, and a heat source, losing electricity probably won't kill you.  After all, having to spend a day or two at home isn't the end of the world. 

To help those who find snow to be a compelling reason to avoid the Finger Lakes, I will be spending the next nine days presenting my case for why Finger Lakes weather is significantly less threatening than what many other areas of the country consider normal. Always a fan of lists, here are my Top Nine Catastrophes Worse Than Snow.

~Sarah Jane

Autumn, FLX Style

I think one of my favorite things about living in the Finger Lakes is having four seasons, all of which have something to celebrate.  But fall is my favorite season, probably because I love Halloween and Thanksgiving.  I also have a fondness for pumpkin pie, harvest spice Yankee Candles, and pumpkin chai from Dunkin Donuts.  Mostly though, it's because the fall leaves are so fabulous here.  I love driving along the lake, looking across, and seeing reds and yellows and oranges on the other side.  It's gorgeous!

 

Owasco Lake, October 2008

If the foliage in the Finger Lakes isn't sufficient, you also have the option of taking a short road trip to the Adirondacks.  It's such a popular destination in the fall that our local meteorologists discuss the levels of fall foliage every night on the evening news and give you the locations that are currently in "peak week".  You can even take a ride on the Adirondack Scenic Railroad.  The Halloween trip, where passengers are encouraged to wear costumes, is fabulous.

All in all, autumn is a wonderful time to be in the Finger Lakes!

~Sarah Jane