Beeson "Lock-In" and Birmingham Gridlock

Traffic jam on I-65

About 50 students, faculty, and staff members are stranded in Beeson Divinity School since last night, in addition to countless people from Samford University. We were ordered to stay where we are and we have no idea when we can go home, but I am fine and everyone on campus is fine. However, it's a nightmare throughout Birmingham right now...

As you might have seen on TV, a weather system dumped a significant amount of snow and ice across the Southeastern part of America, and many people were caught off guard by it. The weather channel predicted that we would only get a dusting of it but the Birmingham area got up to two inches of snow. Around 11:30 am, a civil emergency was declared for multiple counties across central and southern Alabama, and authorities are urging people to not venture on the streets except in emergency cases. There are thousands of motorists stranded throughout the streets of Birmingham, AL, and in the immediate vicinity of Samford University, the traffic are at a dead stop and no one is going anywhere.

All schools, county and state government offices, and businesses are closed today, and many people are still stranded in various schools, hotels, and shelters across Alabama and Georgia now.

Home Depot employees passing out
free coffee to motorists in Pelham, AL.

There are also multiple accounts about amazing Southern hospitality and kindness strangers are sharing with one another. It makes me grateful to live in this part of US especially during something like this!

For the latest pictures, follow @Fox6Traffic on Twitter - many of the pictures illuminates well what's happening around here.

It will be a long week for many of us, and your prayers are much appreciated!




Here are some pictures that have surfaced on Twitter so far this morning:

Rt. 280 close to Samford University

Road leading up to my apartment complex on Greensprings/Columbiana Road