Hundreds of motorists and their passengers were stranded on a snow-covered interstate in Kentucky after a winter storm moved through and battered the region Wednesday and Thursday.
CNN noted that travelers got stuck on Interstate 65 near Elizabethtown, Kentucky after the snow continued to fall heavily and road crews couldn’t move fast enough.
Kentucky, unlike the Northeastern states that deal with snowstorms regularly this time of year, does not have a ton of trucks and equipment to get a quick handle on such a snowstorm.
"We have finally cleared some emergency lanes on the sides of the roads, and the traffic now northbound on I-65 is beginning to move slowly and to clear out," Gov. Steve Beshear said Thursday. "It will take several hours to clear it out, because it's backed up so much. But it is moving again, thank goodness."
On a very sad note, the Associated Press reported that melting snow in the state caused some flooding, including the Cumberland River where Jim "Muggins" Bennett said many Christmas presents were ruined. Bennett and his wife run a Christmas operation in which they deliver toys to needy children every year. They said the flood waters poured into the sheds where the presents were and ruined the stored gifts.
Incidents like this are usually accompanied by some good-neighborly stories as well. Truckers on I-65 offered fellow drivers food, firefighters handed out blankets, and one Good Samaritan made his way out to the highway to try and help those stranded on the road.