{O/C}
The calamitous impact of the winter storm that wreaked havoc on a stretch of I-95 near Virginia in the U.S. could still be felt early today as motorists and drivers were somehow rendered "homeless" for hours.
{SOT}
Along a stretch of one of America's longest interstate highways, I-95, lay hundreds of cars and motorcycles, as well as trucks, as a snowstorm created a perfect storm featuring an epic traffic disaster which wreaked havoc on I-95.
All this boils down to a truck which jackknifed on Interstate 95 between Richmond and Washington after slightly veering off course, leaving other cars stranded.
With that, the ordeal became ineluctable through and through.
The day with inclement weather witnessed snow fall at a rate of up to 2 inches an hour near Virginia.
And the interstate was still impassable even after snowplows were deployed in an effort to clear the interstate as soon as possible.
Dogs and children ended up sleeping in their cars as a sea of vehicles remained stationary.
Worse yet, some cars ran out of fuel, and heaters on board all went haywire, leaving thousands stranded in the dark and without heat.
What's more, a beautiful sunrise shed no light on when the interstate highway would be reopened.
GEORGE SEBAN, Stranded driver: We got here by 9 o'clock last night. We haven't moved.
Playing video games, reading and devouring food are how stranded travellers made the time so much more bearable.
People also took it in their stride as they helped each other.
Bundling up in blankets truly went a long way towards keeping warm in the midst of frigid temperatures and the gelid weather.
Stranded traveller: Everyone over here's sharing food, they're walking down through all the lanes and offering snacks up.
Also stuck for more than a day was Senator Tim Kaine.
TIM KAINE, U.S. Senator: There're families with kids, there're families that have seniors in the car, people with medical issues. People are running out of gas.
No adulatory comments, but instead, complaints as travellers were obviously displeased.
Defending the sluggish response by authorities, Virginia officials say the storm began with rain, so crews couldn't pretreat the roads beforehand as the salt or chemicals would have been washed away. Even traffic cameras couldn't escape being knocked out by power outages by reason of the storm.
Eventually, in the afternoon, the scene of cars being parked nose to tail gradually vanished.
Because many people were devoid of fuel and food, as well as heat, they were feared to have been predisposed towards hypothermia. Fortunately, no injuries or deaths were reported.
Just one of the vicissitudes of life made for an utterly unforgettable experience.
Comments