In a few weeks, it will be 32 years since the Blizzard of '78 hit Ohio. I'll sure anyone who was alive during that time will never forget it. That storm became the benchmark for all subsequent winter storms.
According to this page on the ohiohistory.org website, it was the worst winter storm in Ohio history. It hit early on Thursday, January 26 and lasted into Friday. Governor James Rhodes declared a statewide emergency, enabling him to activate the National Guard.
The January 26th edition of the Journal shown above (it was still an evening paper back then) included a detailed account of the storm by staff writer Carrie Yakley. Winds up to 75 miles per hour caused a lot of damage to power lines, leaving many areas without electric power or heat. Drifting snow and ice caused many roads to be closed, including the westbound lanes of the Ohio Turnpike at Exit 8, the Shoreway in Cleveland, and I-71 between Cleveland and Columbus.
Big events like the storm inevitably lead to "Where were you?" thoughts. Since I was away at school at the time, the local angle of the storm covered on the front page was all new to me.
To read an article about the storm on the Kent State website, click here.
