Seattle also gets surprised by snow storms to the extent of folks walking away from their cars, sleeping under desks etc. A few years back we had a storm and the public outcry cost the Mayor his job for an ineffective response - he (and he alone mind you) should have plowed more (without more plows), should have used more deicer (when there wasn't a supply) and for god sakes avoided plowing a priority route right to his home address (the killer in Seattle politics). Granted, folks can always respond more responsibly and make alternate plans and preparations (stay home, ditch bag at work/sleep under desks, hold kids back from school), but face it - most parents won't hold their kids out of school if the schools are open, there are consequences for absences, and if the storm had gone a different direction their kids get dinged. Not staying home to look forward to a day of hot cocoa and watching the snow come down or not taking a ditch bag with you to work is just a lack of considering what might happen outside the realm of normalcy for the typical Atlantan. Even planning a What If 8 hours in the future is really difficult for the average folks when it comes to disruptive events. Walking home? What Atlanta commuter ever considered that?

Back to the Mayor. They are the visible pointy end of the stick, who are supposed to have the know how and wit to prepare his city with snowplows and emergency responses to ensure the city functions tip top during a very rare scenario. Uh huh. Mayors also have city councils who would laugh at emergency allocations in the fiscal budget proposed in May, if it were not for snow storms like this to educate elected and constituents. Mayors also bear the brunt of criticism for alarmism and economic harm when they go Condition Red on the city and the snowstorm misses their cities, and rivals will pounce on them. Believe it. Post Katrina however I think the prevalent expectation is that the mayor or governor or city superintendent can at least communicate reasoned, weather.com if not NOAA based alarm, and as a precaution close city buildings, shut down schools, and rally local commerce to do much the same, taking folks off the streets of Atlanta. Just like the mayors and governors did in the run up to Hurricane Sandy, or the artic chill in Minnesota just a while ago. Power of the pulpit. Did the mayor of Atlanta use his? That's the question.