First Person: Blizzard Brings People Together

Yahoo! News is gathering brief first-person accounts, photos and video from the severe winter weather in the northeastern United States. Here's one resident's story.

FIRST PERSON | In Stamford, Conn., the storm of the century was an anticlimactic affair. While other regions of the state report 30-plus inches of snow, Stamford had 12. While reports of injuries and major damage come rolling in, Stamford finds itself buried, but largely OK.

Skidding snowmobiles woke me on what I anticipated to be a lazy morning. Why anyone in this neighborhood -- which boasts about 355 snow-free days per year -- would own a snowmobile, I don't know. These were followed by the plows, which were followed by the occasional car or truck struggling to gain purchase on the still-icy hill.

A quick cup of coffee and I was out the door, gassing up the snow blower and starting to clear the foot of snow blanketing the driveway. The neighbor's kids were doing the same, but with shovels. Feeling sorry for the hapless kids, I brought my machine over to finish their chore.

In the meantime, the new neighbor down the block was surveying his property, shovel in hand. I meandered over to clear a path for his cars. After a brief chat, I headed next door to clear another driveway. The kids from the first house ran over and asked if they could rent the snow blower for $30. I politely declined while making my way to assist another neighbor and his daughter as they dug out their car.

The only snow blower in the neighborhood spared my back the misery of shoveling by hand, and gave me reason to say hello to my neighbors.

We know we were smart to prepare, even though it ultimately proved unnecessary. We know we were fortunate to avoid damage and injury. We bid Nemo farewell as it travels further north; and we sip hot chocolate before getting on with our day, thankful to be a little closer to our neighbors than before.