The day after a massive winter storm, people in the Tri-Cities are still dealing with the aftermath. With several inches of snow on the ground, and more in the forecast, Saturday was all about snow for people in the Tri-Cities region.
Friday's snow brought smiles to kids faces all across the area, but it also created a dangerous mess on area roads. "I hit a patch of ice and slid across and ended in a ditch down there," said Douglas McDonald, who was on his way to work in Bristol when the storm hit.
Countless cars like McDonald's slid off Interstate 26 near the Eastern Star Road exit. "It was pretty scary yeah," said McDonald.
Casualties from the storm can still be found littered all over I-26, where people abandoned ship Friday night, and walked several miles for help. Some, like McDonald, came back to rescue their cars. "I'm digging myself out trying to get home," said McDonald.
Others, hired help. Tow truck drivers worked furiously Saturday to rescue hundreds of cars abandoned during the snowstorm. "We've been on the road ever since this started yesterday," said Charles Buchannan, a manager for Browns Mill Wrecker Service.
He worked for more than 24 hours straight and said his crews could not even get out to help people on I-26 Friday night because conditions were so trecherous. "It was just so bad it was about impassable out here last night," said Buchannan.
The situation also caused thousands to lose power throughout the area, like Laurie McEwen and her family. "We spent the night and my whole head was about to freeze off," said McEwen. They live outside of Kingsport and by Saturday afternoon could not take the cold any longer. "It's just too cold out there," said McEwen.
So they headed into one of several Red Cross shelters open for the night. A welcome warmth on a cold cold night.
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