Do you remember this infamous blizzard?

Blizzards in the Hoosier State

I was born and raised right here in the Tri-State, so with being from southern Indiana, I haven't seen too many blizzards in my time.  I do remember an ice storm that happened in, I believe 2009 (correct me if I'm wrong).  Where we had so many trees and powerlines taken down by the weight of the ice that many were left without power.

According to the National Weather Service, this particular ice storm was pretty nasty in our region:

January 2009

Up to a half inch of ice fell across far southern sections of central Indiana from the 26th to the 28th. Worse conditions were found across southern Indiana, where up to an inch of ice fell and over 200,000 homes and business lost power. 

But what was the worst blizzard to hit the Hoosier State?  Well, we're going to have to go back nearly 50 years for that one.

The Most Infamous Blizzare in Hoosier History

When you ask people about winter weather in Indiana, many bring up the blizzard of 1978.  This blizzard took place in January and dumped up to 30 inches in some places around Indiana.    According to the National Weather Service, the Blizzard of 1978 was the worst blizzard on record for our state.

And when you read about the impact this massive blizzard had in our state, there's no denying just how serious this weather event was.  70 Hoosiers even lost their lives in this storm.

Highways were clogged with stranded motorists.  Throughout the Midwest, doctors and emergency personnel were forced to reach people on skis and snowmobiles.  The governor sent National Guard tanks onto I-65 to remove stranded semis.  A snowbank stalled a seven car Amtrak train in Putnam County.  Indiana Bell was forced to halt all phone traffic but emergency calls.  In Franklin, the Daily Journal published on pink paper, explaining that the color would help readers find their papers in the snow. The governor declared a snow emergency for the entire state the morning of the 26th. During the afternoon of the 26th, the Indiana State Police considered all Indiana roads closed. Seventy people perished during the storm. (National Weather Service)

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Hopefully, we never see a weather event like this in Indiana again, but it never hurts to be prepared.  The American Red Cross has some great tips for preparing for winter weather, here.