When we moved to Columbia County in 2000 from Kentucky, I never expected to see a lot of snow and ice again. But I was proven wrong 10 years ago when the big snow/ice storm of 2014 hit.
I was in my final semester of graduate school and living at home for my internship. I don’t remember much about when the snow started, but I remember watching it fall and cover our front yard, backyard and the streets.
The driveway and street at my parents’ house are both hills, so I remember being thankful I was parked in the street because I didn’t have to worry about dealing with the driveway. But I was also nervous about being parked on the street because of other drivers trying – and failing – to get up the hill. The dining room looks out into the front yard, so we spent some time just watching the cars attempt to make it to the top of the hill and then slide back down.
At some point we lost power, just like almost everyone else. So, to keep warm we bundled up and stayed in the living room near our fireplace. My parents slept down there, but I ended up sleeping upstairs in my bedroom because it felt a little warmer to me.
MORE: Remembering the ice storm in the CSRA
We spent our days away from the house trying to find places with power and ended up at the mall. I was able to find an outlet near the Starbucks that was inside the mall. I plugged in my laptop and plugged my phone into my computer. My mom and dad also plugged their phones in to charge up.
Thankfully, we didn’t suffer any major damage during the storm. I think the only thing was a tree in the front yard collapsed/broke due to all the weight of the snow. Something also happened to one of the power polls near the house, because I remember a loud sound and seeing a flash of green light.
After about 55 or so hours, our power finally came back on. I’ve never been so happy before. But then, a few hours after the power came back there the earthquake happened. I felt the shaking and prayed we don’t lose power again. Thankfully we didn’t.
I was so happy when things started to return to normal after a few days, but I’ll never forget those few days. Especially since they come up on my Facebook memories each year.
Stephanie Hill is the managing editor and covers Columbia County government for The Augusta Press. Reach her at stephanie@theaugustapress.com.
