I was fortunate enough (or smart enough...depending on your opinion) not to be on the highways that day. I would however like to send a big thank you out the State Patrol, National Guard, firemen, various police and emergency services who were out there that day; as I did have some friends and family stuck (uncomfortable...but no injuries). Can things be done better in the future..maybe; but it would require more staffing, and better infrastructure...which costs dinero! So for those of you who wish to see it happen, realize that money has to come from somewhere...and that somewhere is taxes.

Oh, and thank you also to all of the wonderful people who donated food, water, and whatever else.

I live in Florida, and the Florida Highway patrol here has a radio emergency alert system. We also have a program called road ranger if you have a stranded vehicle you call*fhp. They bring you gas change tire etc for free. I don't think this would have changed the situation but nice to know this service is avalable. If Wisconsin has an emegency radio station get the channel number and program it into your radio,or tape a piece of paper with that info onto yor dash and carry an emergency pack with you. I get sick of hearing about people serviving on rain water and lifesavers.

I do appologize Shell my 2nd comment was for ojamarshall

I may be late but must respond to get a few things off my chest.
1st...Puds....of course the "Troopers" and us have heard of jobs that don't shut down. Some of the Troopers/Inspectors put in TRIPLE shifts that day as well as many others (and do on a regular basis lately). I think before you can criticize those for being at the weigh station maybe you should go to the State Patrol website and learn that there are Troopers and Motor Carrier Inforcement AKA: Inspectors. These inspectors jobs are to be at the weigh stations or scales as they call them. They are actually scheduled to be there during some of their shifts to inspect semi's etc.... This is also a place for them to replenish forms etc... they need on a regular basis as they do not have an office. Their vehicles are there office along w/I90. In there office they have idiots that speed past them in the lane nearest where they stop or assist people, instead of giving them a little respect and moving over into the other lane and slow down. It is not a safe place to be. Do you know the stastic of job related deaths due to this....almost 40%.
Did you ever stop to think that these Troopers and inspectors drive cars and they too were getting stuck in the snow. They had to stop and assist/check on all the vehicles that called and they came accross. Obviously there were many. You should have listened to the news reports and stayed home that's what your co-workers are for. Team-Work.

2nd for Shell......You cannot compare this to the Fog Crash. That was a huge pile up of cars and as 1st reponders there job is to check on all. Then assess the situation. Determine who is most critical and go down the line until they are taken care of and then get the lane of traffic open so the rest of you that can go can. It is my knowledge this is what the State Patrol did on that day. It may not be perfect but that is what they did. GIVE THEM A BREAK.
These men/women risk their lives every single minute they are on duty. We make them do that with our actions. The people that were out there need to take responsiblity for their actions. They didn't listen and now someone else is to blame? No one should have been on the roads that day but our law enforcement because that is their job and the plows. That is what all the news casters told us for days.

wisconsinheat - brilliant!...I forgot about cb's.

SarahB;
Such technology is and has been available for quite some time. In fact it is so old most people under 35 have probably never heard of it.
It's called a CB radio. They are not very expensive and almost all truckers still use them for instant communication among motorists.
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Anyone traveling today should consider carrying one with them. Cheap insurance.
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It sure would have made this mess just a blip on the radar.

shell;
What are you basing your statement on? "I think the biggest problem was the lack of communication's between agencies. If the communications between local, county and state agencies were handled better, response to the backup would have been done quicker."
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Were you privy to what "communications" were actually being shared among the agencies? Or are you Monday morning quarterbacking and just assuming "communications" was the problem?
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It would be interesting to hear your insight because I believe there are many factors involved in a situation of this magnitude.
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Could it have been a failure to communicate with the stranded victims instead? If so, how would you propose to accomplish that feat in the future?"
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Hindsight is 20/20, but you sound like you have inside knowledge.
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Please share it with us.

With all that technology offers today, how about a telephone system in which motorists can check on conditions ahead or find out what is causing them to be stranded behind a long line of vehicles. One idea would be to set it up so that motorists could punch in the mile marker and get a message about a situation. Just a thought from a non-technical reader.

I think the biggest problem was the lack of communication's between agencies. If the communications between local, county and state agencies were handled better, response to the backup would have been done quicker.

We can sit here all day long and blame people but blaming people is not going to help change the way things are done in an emergency situation. Yes people were out in it despite the warnings, yes people do have employers who have little regard to employee's safety and well being and force their employee's to come into work or be fired. Making money to some employer's is more important than keeping their employee's safe.

We can sit here all day long and complain, but in the end it get's nothing done. I just hope all agencies learn from this, make improvements to the current emergency response system and improve on communications between agencies.

EDGERTON SUNDOWNERS Rep. - Steve Hanewall 884-9008

i just want to say the only reason i wrote was to get our story out there as well. we were VERY grateful and felt TERRIBLE for all the injured in the pile up a few weeks ago. we just thought after everyone was safe they could have started working on how are we going to get these other people out of here? there were fireman and others walking up and down to see if your CAR was ok. troppers/ems, ect were traveling continously on the southbound lanes back and forth. there are megaphones, people, ect., to get the word out. Believe me, we would have played telephone and passed any information along. i am not writing again as these blogs can get a little exagerated. i just wanted to get the point across that they need a plan for the next time it happens. it was a massive accident and it did happen and can happen again. they just need to do some planning like any other emergency management system. they did a wonderful job with the injured. i am trying to be positive and grateful. but after those people were safe what about the others trapped with no food, water, ect. we had a tropper come by us as with thought we were going to be moving to make a lane on the shoulder,you should have seen the excitement of everyone, he instead began screaming at us to move our cars so a tow truck could get through and of course no information or asking if everyone is ok. my point was just to state this has happened now twice and we need a better system.

Thats all I heard that day on my scanner is the plows couldn't get thru because of the number of vehicles blocking the roads and the plows couldn't get by them. I know it was hard to keep up with roads because as fast as I shoveled it would fill right back in. I know my husband had to drive that day even though there was no school but because he works for the school district he had to go in to clear the walks. He did get to come home early that day but after all was really bad. He said he couldn't believe how some people were driving like idiots. If you have to drive you just need to slow down and drive carefully.

first these people need to look in the mirror and blame themselves, it wasnt like this weather hit all of the sudden we heard for days it was coming , there is several thing we could do to improve what happened, they should have a way to shut down the interstate, for those of us who arent smart enough to make that decision not to use it ourselves, other states have laws that make semi s travel in the right lane unless passing , and they must travel at a lower speed then other vehicles, there are several places between madison and janesville the interstate run s right next to another road, they could install emergency exits, sad part is people arent smart enough to protect themselves

I cannot believe the blame that is being pointed at the patrols and plowers. They have worked there butts off to do the best they can in a winter storm they could barely keep up with, and here goes the brilliant people who chose to travel, knowing the storm was comming, running there mouths about what they are and are not doing right. I understand some people have to travel, but expect the delays, and dont trash talk the hard workers that are out there for a reason, if you werent in their way in the first place, maybe they could have done a better job!

OJMARSHALLISLANDS: I, too, was caught up in the 100-car pileup on I-90 a month ago. I was stopped at the end of a long line of vehicles and was struck from behind by a pickup truck going way too fast for conditions. I have nothing but heartfelt praise and gratitude for the State Patrol and others who came to my aid. I had to be cut out of my vehicle and transported to the UW Hospital by rescue squad but am lucky to be alive and able to write this comment. I am sure it was frustrating for you and other drivers not knowing what was occurring. However, I can tell you that the Patrol and others had their hands full. All around my vehicle, it was a mangled mess and officers' radios were continuously reporting the locations of more injured motorists. These officers (along with Dane County sheriffs deputies, rescue squad personnel, and others) were kept running for hours. There was probably no way to communicate to other motorists what was happening. Perhaps, it was on the radio; I don't know. And the bottles of water you saw? I know a good deal of them came from motorists who were distributing them from their trunks in an attempt to do something to help in the crisis situation. I, for one, am grateful for every little (or big) act of kindness offered up that Sunday on I-90.

I don't understand why people are so mad about what happen with 90. If you are dumb enough to go out in a blizzerd that we all knew about for the past week, you best expect a delay. And as for the state patrol, how can you blame them? How much do u think the 5 troopers who probuly even worked in that sector could do anything with a thousand cars backed up? And I will tell you, I know most of them probuly worked double shifts last night and probuly didnt even get home till this afternoon. Also, how can u blame the people who are suppose to keep the roads clear? They work there butts off trying to keep up with the drifting. Highway 14 was plowed non-stop and would be coverd up again in 15 min. If you went out last night, u deserved to get stuck. And PUDS, yes there are jobs that cant get shut down, but I am sure there are poeple who live in the area of that place of work that can get called in. No one askes you to risk your life to get to work. You are no good to any one if you are dead.

I would just like to say I worked 13 hours in that weather yesterday and half the people I came across in the ditch had no reason to be on the roads.....Oh and for the people that didn't hear the updates....I knew exactly what was going on I listened to the radio. I would agree Wisconsin needs to get a system like South Dakota put the gates across the ramps and the interstate.

How many of those people that sat out there should have left home in the first place? I would be embarrassed to admit I left Chicago and tried to outrun a winter storm, unless I was on my way to perform a heart transplant or something. And traveling from Whitewater to McFarland? Get the map out, boys! You don't need I90 for that one! Why don't you all stay home next time, you made alot of work for people last night.

I am curious…the news today said that it was a snowmobile club who went out and started bringing food and water to those stranded. Does anyone know what club or how to contact them? I am really impressed with the fact they did that and would like to contact them and simply say bravo…well done.

why are we blaming the State Patrol? How about looking at those responsible for clearing the roadway. Then the resposibility falls to those traveling yesterday. Dont blame the handful of troopers trying to help a boatload of travelers. Listen to the news, a woman stranded left Chicago at 3PM and drove any way. Many exits to choose from to change her mind. How about the two friends who left Whitwater to go to McFarland. The "I" isnt even the most direct route. See two more that didnt need to be out there, and I would say many more with the same unfounded reasons.

Also, I think drivers have unrealistic expectations. They think the Interstate is always going to be clear sailing, and there will never be a problem. In many states out West they tell drivers they are traveling at their own risk when the weather gets bad and nobody will be there to rescue them.

The majority of the vehicles stuck on the interstate yesterday where semis. The State Patrol officers had to risk their lives trying to rescue drivers from their own stupidity.

I have a police scanner and it went nonstop yesterday. I listened to Dane, Rock, Jefferson and Walworth counties on it yesterday. I know from listening to all the counties that they were swamped with calls of run-offs and cars stuck on roads. Even the state patrol was swamped with calls. At times they couldn't even see the cars that ran off the roads due to whiteout conditions. Stop and think about how many cars are out on all our roads and the weather conditions yesterday. They can't be everywhere at once. It was one call after another nonstop all day. Even the snowplows were doing what they could to help out because the police were so busy. Think about the conditons they had to drive in also. Quite a few squad cars even got stuck and then they needed help so they could help those that were stuck. I think considering the conditions yesterday they all did what they could .

Pud ranted:
"I have said this before and will say it again,if the State Patrol would be doing their jobs instead of sitting at the weight stations flapping their lips maybe they would have noticed a problem on I-90/39. I do not know how many times I go past the north bound weight station only to see 6 State Patrol cars sitting there and at least 3 sitting at the new weight station going south."

Pud, WEIGH stations are State Patrol sub stations. They don't have a local State PD, so every officer in a Huge area uses the weigh stations as their police station, where more business than you can comprehend takes place.

The snow was not a suprise, we all knew it was coming. If you still went out and got stuck, it was your fault. The state patrol has better things to do then deal with dumb people. I think they should have let nature take it course. Then next time there would be less people to pull out of the ditch.

When you travel in the kind of weather that you had yesterday, you are risking your life and the lives of others. You are lucky if you get any help at all and unbelievably ungrateful to complain about it.

Don't ya just love how everyone has the answer on how EVERYONE ELSE should learn from this and do better?
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Here's a novel idea; how 'bout YOU learn something and YOU do better.

Maybe the crybabies should travel MN and west , where they SHUT THE Interstate down and don't offer any help , Travel at your own risk , I WAS SMART ENUF TO STAY HOME !!!!!!!
Watch the weather !!

In response to pubs comment on the 365 day medical field that can't shutdown. My wife use to work in that type of job. It was real simple. The shift that is working stays and does a double as it is unsafe for them to leave to go home. The workers that are home stay home until it is safe to drive. My guess is that pud was more concerned about the pay check then the safety of driving in those conditions.

If anyone is to "blame" here, isn't it the truckers who completely ignored the conditions and warnings and ultimately created the problem? These are the same guys who come flying by you at 75 mph in the left lane during just about any weather. I know their's isn't an easy job and have deadlines to meet, but sometimes you've just go to pull off the road and wait it out. I believe that over half of the vehicles that were stranded were big rigs.

I think puddles must have gotten a ticket recently. Maybe she needs to do a "ride-along" to see just what does happen on a night like last night. But if she had she would know that when the guys came on at 7 AM or the 2nd shift at 3 PM they stayed until early this AM working and helping drivers as they could...I can't wait until she has a problem on the I system and NEEDS the help of a trooper.

Good old USA. Being "free" and having "freedom of speech" means that you can blame everyone else for your own mistakes. People, if you break the law or do really dumb things like drive during a blizzard, there are going to be consequences. Maybe i should complain because my tax money is being wasted by you people that do not know any better. I agree pudssweetie, many people do not get a "snow day" and MUST be at work. However, why not live closer to where you work? So many people like to travel far for their job because it "pays better". However, they complain about the high taxes around where they work and refuse to live there. Guess what? Days like this are going to happen. Either move or take it with a grain of salt. I am willing to bet that the majority of those stuck did not need to be on the roads. Hey, maybe we should blame mother nature, or what about God? I know, lets blame the cougar running around Milton.

puds--I think it's interesting that you are so quick to criticize the state patrol and how they were "flapping their lips" instead of diverting traffic. Where did you want them to divert traffic? Every road in the region was just as dangerously covered as the interstate. And how many times have you stopped at the weigh station to be sure the state patrol officers are doing their jobs? Have you been an officer before? I also suspect that the motorists' approximations of being stranded for three hours before the state patrol even heard about them is exaggerated, as people tend to exaggerate especially in situations such as this.

Did you hear that Dean Riverview Clinic sent it's employees home yesterday at 7:30am and cancelled all appointments? I'm sure there were a decent amount of drivers on the road yesterday who didn't absolutely need to be. My sympathies to those who had to go to work, though. I wouldn't have wanted to be on the roads at all.

I, too, hope that the State Patrol learns a thing or two from these experiences and I'm glad no one was seriously injured or killed.

i just want to state that i was one person alone stuck on the interstate a few weeks ago with the 100 car pile up for 9 hours. i was alone, cold and saw many families with young children, elderly and so forth. they do the best they can, that is understandable. but the most frusterating part to all of us was the no communication. no one knew what was going on and no one was telling us. just think of how people freak out and loose patience when stuck in a traffic jam for 30 minutes, think about hours and hours with no way of getting out. it was a terrible experience and people were without food, water and of course bathrooms. it was very difficult especially being alone. the communication is the most important. if they would just try and tell people what is happening and how they are fixing it. this is twice now this has happened hopefully they will have a plan when this happens again. hats off to those men and women from law enforcement who are out they trying their best but until you have been in that situation you don't know. State patrol has been faced with this issue, now they should have a plan. especially when the weather was fine the first time and tow trucks were flying by on the shoulder but yet we couldn't do that. i do want to comment that all the emergency crews/police, ect were carrying around bottles of water but yet we were never offered any or helped. it was a tough situation for all.

Well TRN suggests that ignoring warnings and traveling anyways they forfeit their right to complain. We humans don't work that way; we do as we think is right and complain anyway.

Clyde, the problem I see with closing an interstate is the you force people off onto even lesser plowed roads and possible compounding the problem.

I have said this before and will say it again, if the State Patrol would be doing their jobs instead of sitting at the weight stations flapping their lips maybe they would have noticed a problem on I-90/39. I do not know how many times I go past the north bound weight station only to see 6 State Patrol cars sitting there and at least 3 sitting at the new weight station going south. Once the problem was discovered both north and south bound lanes should have been closed down completely and any traffic should have been diverted. As for the ones complaining about people out traveling yesterday, unfortunately there are some of us who work in jobs that cannot be closed down. Ever heard of a Nursing home, hospital or any Assisted Living places calling off work and sending people home? Of course not, we who work in the medical field know that it is a 365 day a year job that shuts down for nothing and we are still responsible to come in to work or stay at work when no one can come in. Unfortunately people got caught trying to get home before the worst of the snowstorm hit and didn't make it. I am just glad that no one was seriously hurt during this and I hope this incident will be used to correct the way local and state officials handle emergency situations like this.

are you kidding me? are you that ignorant you need someone to tell you the weather is bad and you shouldnt be driving! you are the epitome of today's society, blame someone else because it CANT be your fault.

How can they complain when they were the idiots that risked their lives and their families to travel in these conditions. Quit your whining and stay home next time.

Whatever happened to common sense? Seems to me if someone chooses to ignore the weather reports, Ignore the travel advisories and even ignore the weather outside there own car window and choose to continue there journey, they forfeit their right to complain about the time it takes for authorities to offer them help when they get stranded.

It is hard to believe that the state patrol didn't know about the back-up until three hours after it started. Why didn't the state patrol close down 90 when the storm hit. If people aren't going to make better decisions about driving in bad weather, they need help from someone else to prevent this type of situation from happening.