Schools would be closed for two days, authorities said. Tractors and shovels were positioned at major intersections, and the police stated that they would block the two highways leading from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem as soon as the first snowflakes began falling from the sky. Hospitals went on alert, cultural events were canceled, and court sessions were postponed. The Israeli army sent armored personnel carriers to Jerusalem in anticipation of the coming storm.
Hearing the news, Israelis rushed to the nearest supermarket to stock up on basic supplies. Canned goods, dairy products, toiletries, and even bottles of mineral water were purchased as if a long siege was ahead.
Read the rest of this story on The Oslo Times.
Winter is a matter of having the right equipment and the right attitude. For a Mediterranean country like Israel, it simply doesn't make sense to have what it takes to deal with snow and ice. So the country has to shut down at the threat of 2 inches of snow, which seems laughable to people like me in the Midwest where it's currently -5F. But then again, we've got mountains of salt lined up outside of Chicago, and an army of snowplows. And, we don't have steep hills like you do driving up to Jerusalem.
ReplyDeleteWell, in Britain authorities act pretty much the same and we should be accustomed to some snow....
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