FORT DODGE, Iowa — A blizzard pounded its way across northwest Iowa on Wednesday. Wind gusts and blowing snow reduced visibility and caused people to drive off the roads or into the ditch. One of those who wound up stuck was me.  

Just after a 4 p.m. live shot from the WHO 13 CarCam, I entered into a white-out cloud of snow at S 42nd Street and 5th Avenue South, a busy route in and out of town. As I attempted to turn around and get off the road, I got stuck in a snowbank.

Since I am not used to getting stuck, I did the only thing I know, called the Fort Dodge Police Department to report that I was stuck and where. They informed me tow trucks were not running due to the bad weather.

An employee of the Fort Dodge Correctional Institution stopped to try and push me out. The car would not move. After some time a city snow plow arrived and helped move snow out of the way.

Eventually, I hitched a ride to the nearby motel. As soon as I arrived the police dispatch called me back to explain an officer would pick me up at the hotel and get me back down there.

With three officers and one volunteer, they were able to push my car out of the snow bank. One of the officers was Fort Dodge Police Chief Dennis Quinn, who said it’s the right thing to call the police dispatch first thing so help can come.

“You were out there where it’s open so you know it’s near white out conditions and you’re out there in the middle of an intersection,” said Quinn. “We generally want people to stay with the vehicle, unless you’re out in the middle of the county or something like that, where there is just nothing around.”

Quinn said if you are with the car, then it would take less time for police and city crews to move your vehicle out of the road.

“If you stay with it so that way when we get there to come help you, we can get you moving and get you out of the way as fast as we can,” said Quinn. “I would never tell somebody they have to stay because if you don’t feel safe, because that was a pretty difficult spot that you were in right the middle of a very busy intersection, so if you don’t feel safe in there, we definitely don’t want you to sit with it.”

Fort Dodge city crews helped move snow for stranded motorists, and also plowed off the main roads until midnight. That’s when the crews worked on residential roads, finishing by 10:30 a.m.

“The wind was the biggest culprit,” said Brett Daniel, the Fort Dodge Public Works Director. “We can keep up with the snow for the most part but when you can’t see what you’re doing and it blows the snow back across it’s just not much you can do.”

Daniel said there are always people who have to wait to get out of their drive when the road past their house gets plowed.

“We know that people still have the urge to go out and about during that blizzard condition, but we hope they stay home,” said Daniel. “Some of those were unfortunately stuck for a while, but for the most part people were patient, understanding.”

Iowa News: