Don't Freak Out About the Possible Election Day Nor'Easter Just Yet
The Northeast could get hit with a lot of snow in the coming days, in the form of a potentially huge winter storm named Nemo. (Yes, Nemo.) Flights are being canceled. People are headed to grocery stores. Students in Boston are not going to school. And the Internet and cellphones are telling us to prepare as only the Internet and cellphones can these days. Some examples:
The Weather Channel's Warning

Though preparation is important, the Weather Channel's declaration on its homepage quickly turned into Twitter jokes.
I can't be the only one disturbed by these weather warnings. twitpic.com/c1p2n9
— Dave Itzkoff (@ditzkoff) February 7, 2013
weather.com: GRAB A SHOVEL. OR A BROOM. OR A BUNNY. WHATEVER. WHO CARES WE'RE GONNA DIE. PREPARE. twitter.com/emmacargo/stat…
— Emma Carmichael (@emmacargo) February 7, 2013
The Phone Alert
There was something slightly 1984-ish about the warning some people got via their phones:
"Prepare. Avoid travel. Check media." twitter.com/zseward/status…
— Zach Seward (@zseward) February 7, 2013
Slate explains these were sent via the Wireless Emergency Alert system that was implemented in April 2012. It didn't reach everyone, though: "the discrepancy is merely a matter of which phones have been outfitted by their carriers to display the alerts"
Get Your Cash
Looking at Bank of America's actual tweet about hitting the cash machine before the storm, it doesn't seem that alarmist. (This is actually a good tip if things are going to be really bad.)
Winter Storm #Nemo may bring 2 feet of #snow to New England late Fri & Sat. Prepare now – make sure you have plenty of cash on hand.
— Bank of America (@BofA_Help) February 7, 2013
Looking at Drudge's interpretation of a story about said tweet though...
BANK OF AMERICA urges run on ATMs... drudge.tw/14W82fU
— DRUDGE REPORT (@DRUDGE_REPORT) February 7, 2013
Fun with Numbers
They're at least trying to make snow preparation enjoyable:
Fun fact: There are 6,300 street miles in New York City to be plowed and salted -- that’s like going from NYC to LA and back. #Nemo
— NYC Mayor's Office (@NYCMayorsOffice) February 7, 2013
Bonus: The Obligatory Finding Nemo Joke
Bonus bonus: it's from the man who voiced the fish who was actually looking for Nemo.
They have named this new Nor'easter Nemo. I am not looking for it.
— Albert Brooks (@AlbertBrooks) February 7, 2013
Want to add to this story? Let us know in comments
or send an email to the author at
ezuckerman at theatlantic dot com.
You can share ideas for stories on the Open Wire.
Esther Zuckerman
| Related Articles | More by Esther Zuckerman | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Have a story we missed? A link we have to click? A sharp opinion about the news? Instead of waiting for us to post it, tell us on the Open Wire.
Submit your news and ideas | See all reader posts
User Comments
Please type your comment and click Post. If you’re not already logged in you will be prompted to log in or register