It doesn’t seem possible that this month marks the 40th anniversary of the historic Blizzard of ’78. Probably less than half our present population can remember the greatest weather event of the 20^th century. For those who did not witness the blizzard it’s hard to visualize what 20 inches of snow driven by 50 mph winds in near-zero weather can look like.

The blizzard began on Wednesday, Jan. 25. However, virtually forgotten was the crippling ice and snow storm that hit Hamilton County the week before, exactly 40 years ago today.

As it turned out that storm was child’s play compared with the blizzard that followed.

On Tuesday the 24th there were warnings of another even bigger snow on the way. Those who heeded the warning and stocked up on groceries and gas were the lucky ones. Some were not so fortunate and found themselves with little to eat when the big storm literally closed the state. For two days the howling winds and constant snowfall made all roads impassable. The dangerous cold cost the lives of 70 Hoosiers, a few of them in Hamilton County. A state of emergency was declared by Gov. Otis Bowen.

The snow drifted so deep that heavy earth-moving equipment had to be borrowed from construction companies. Law enforcement called upon snowmobile owners to assist in delivering medicine and in some cases to rescue the sick. The fear of looting caused authorities to warn that looters would be shot, but the weather was too severe for almost anyone to try stealing anything. Literally everything shut down: no mail, no newspapers, no stores, offices or public buildings open. Schools were closed for a week, some longer.

When the winds died down, crews got to work on clearing the roads, then parking lots and driveways, all of which were buried in drifting snow of varying depths, some up three, four or even five feet. By Saturday after the Wednesday onslaught, traffic began moving on main roads and some businesses reopened. But, it was well into the following week before anything like normal activity resumed.

Snow was stacked in huge piles to be trucked away later. It looked like the snow would not all melt until spring, but within two or three weeks it did mostly disappear. The storm brought out the best in many folks who helped aged neighbors or stranded motorists. Owners of tractors and heavy equipment made their vehicles available, and police and fire personnel worked around the clock to respond to the many emergencies.

As the storm eased there was even some enjoyment for skiers, snowmobilers and kids wanting to play in the greatest amount of snow they ever saw. There were some unusual stories that are hard to imagine, like a local resident’s completely covered Volkswagen being mistakenly scooped up in the snow removal.

Folks under the age of 45 probably think the stories of the 1978 blizzard are exaggerated, and maybe some are. But, it was an event of historic proportions like nothing we’ve seen in Hamilton County since.