The 981 Project Podcast

By: Tamela Rich
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  • Summary

  • Join Tamela Rich for dispatches from all 981 miles of the Ohio River: people, places, history, culture, and more.

    the981project.com
    Tamela Rich
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Social Sciences Travel Writing & Commentary World
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Episodes
  • January 2025 Trivia: Thundersnow and a Frozen River

    January 2025 Trivia: Thundersnow and a Frozen River
    Jan 23 2025
    I’m officially an old timer, since I can give you a first-hand account of the 1977 & ‘78 blizzards. Technically, the ‘78 blizzard was more intense because of the record-breaking snowfall and extreme winds. I grew up in Central Ohio, about 30 miles east of Columbus. After a good week or so at home, we ventured out to the grocery store and were shocked that the snow reached power/phone lines. The weather forecast called for frigid conditions and heavy snowfall, but I tell you, when I saw LIGHTNING and heard THUNDER in the middle of that storm, I thought doomsday had arrived. Before you dismiss my observation as fanciful, this phenomenon is known as thundersnow. Watch Jim Cantore do the thundersnow dance here!Okay, if you want to call it a “winter thunderstorm,” that’s an acceptable answer for TV Jeopardy contestants, but you’re gonna hafta accept being called a spoil sport or a kill joy by the rest of us. Your choice.Another thing I recall is that Mom’s tropical fish aquarium froze. No, not like a block of ice, more like a slurry of the consistency we got from the old Icee Drink machines at Sears stores. I was pretty sad about the little angelfish and tetras suspended there as if Samantha on Bewitched had put a spell on them, but here’s the real miracle: those fish survived! No kidding. I think we were out of power for a good week, but once we got it back, the slurry melted and the fish swam around like nothing had happened. With that, it’s time for January Trivia, focused on the history, pop culture, and earth science behind winter weather in the region. This should be fun!Note to my fantastic new subscribers:Monthly trivia is for sport. It’s not a test of intelligence or character. I couldn’t answer these questions without a significant amount of research, either! Do your best and enjoy learning something new. Oh, and would you share it with someone else?QUESTIONSI’m going for quality over quantity this month using these nine questions. Answers in the footnotes.* What conditions produce thundersnow? Choose one.* Exactly the same conditions that produce thunderstorms. Duh! That’s to say, when there is moisture, static electricity/instability, and a lifting mechanism in the atmosphere (known as convection).* Basically the same conditions that produce thunderstorms, with the addition of snowflakes and sleet pellets that collide in the clouds, creating static charges. The static builds up until it's discharged as lightning. The lightning generates intense heat, which causes the air to rapidly expand and produce thunder.* Where is thundersnow most common in the United States? More than one may apply. * The Great Lakes region* Around the Great Salt Lake * The Northeast during nor'easters* The entire length of the Ohio River froze during the winter of 1917-1918. What happened as a result? More than one may apply.* As temperatures dropped, ice flows formed and sharp ice pierced ship hulls or piled on decks, weighing down and sinking 36 boats. * The Great Ice Gorge of the Ohio River formed and finally broke on February 12, after holding firm for 58 days.* More than 100 coal barges were lost and coal yards along the river were flooded. The shortage of coal almost shut down the power plant that supplied heat and light to Cincinnati.* The harbor and the canal at Louisville were kept open by breaking the ice with dynamite because the ice boats weren’t up to the task.* Now it’s time to talk about the blizzard of 1977, which was caused by a strong blocking high over the Arctic Ocean that brought Arctic air into the central and eastern United States. The cold air combined with a build-up of precipitation and wind to create a severe blizzard. Which of the following is true? More than one applies.* January 18, 1977 the temperature in the Cincinnati area was -25°F, the coldest day in that city’s history since the National Weather Service began keeping official records in the nineteenth century.* Louisville saw significant snowfall, compounded by high winds that created drifts several feet deep. Some rural areas nearby were completely cut off. The city opened emergency shelters in schools and other public buildings.* Indiana farmers lost livestock due to the extreme cold and inability to transport feed.* Huntington, West Virginia, experienced issues with frozen water mains, leading to water shortages.* True or false: The Ohio River became a “frozen highway” in 1977 from Huntington, West Virginia, to Evansville, Indiana, because the ice could support the weight of a person and in limited areas, even motor vehicles.* Let’s compare the ‘77 and ‘78 storms. The Blizzard of 1977 was caused by a combination of extreme cold (from Arctic air) and high winds, with snow already on the ground due to prolonged cold weather prior to the storm. The Great Blizzard of 1978 was different in which key ways? More than one is correct.* The storm was caused by an explosive low-pressure system ...
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    27 mins
  • December 2024 Trivia Time

    December 2024 Trivia Time
    Dec 19 2024
    December 16 marked the anniversary of the 1967 collapse of the bridge that crossed the Ohio River between Point Pleasant, West Virginia, and Gallipolis, Ohio. The Point Pleasant Bridge is usually called the Silver Bridge, and its collapse is often associated with the Mothman, a creature reportedly sighted in the area leading up to the disaster. The devastating event took place at rush hour, on a bridge built in 1928 when Model Ts were in use, not the heavier cars that followed. Two cars avoided plunging into the river, but 46 people died, and 9 bodies were never recovered. My great-grandmother lived on the Ohio side of the bridge and we crossed it several times visiting family before its collapse—yes, I’m “that” old. This month, we’ll explore bridge construction techniques, the disaster itself, the folklore and history of the Mothman, and a good bit more within ten questions. Note to my fantastic new subscribers:Monthly trivia is for sport. It’s not a test of intelligence or character. I couldn’t answer these questions without a significant amount of research, either! Do your best and enjoy learning something new. Answers in the footnotes.QUESTIONS* The Silver Bridge was named for:* Beloved local architect John H. Silver, who was born in Point Pleasant, but died one month before the bridge opened in 1928.* It was the first bridge in the United States to use eyebar chain suspension, a design that relied on a series of metal links (eyebars) to support the structure. Its shiny aluminum paint was innovative for the time, so the locals disregarded its official name.* Both.* We often tell our children that the weakest link in a chain determines its fate. This is also true of the Silver bridge collapse because…* A tiny crack developed in the lower part of eyebar 330 due to stress corrosion cracking. When the crack grew, it caused a sudden brittle fracture of the eyebar, leading to the rapid failure of the suspension chain and the subsequent collapse of the entire bridge. * In 1968, a junior-level bridge inspector noticed the stress on eyebar 330 and reported it to his supervisor. Instead of placing the issue on a list of items to re-inspect, the boss hid the report. Only after the bridge collapsed did the junior inspector come forward, but since he didn’t keep his own copy of the report, and the official copy of the file had been “temporarily misplaced,” the federal inspectors with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) wrote him off as a glory seeker until he was vindicated in 1997 when the file was found. * Both.* The eyebar chain system was considered innovative because it used fewer materials compared to traditional suspension cables. Which of the following is true about bridge design? More than one may apply.* The eyebar design's failure mode is non-redundant, meaning that if one key component fails, the entire structure can collapse.* Today, bridges typically use cable-stayed or suspension systems with wire cables, which are more robust and offer multiple lines of support.* Most existing bridges with similar designs to the Silver Bridge have either been retrofitted or replaced to meet modern safety standards. * A cryptid is an animal or creature that is said to exist but has never been proven to do so. Cryptids are often featured in folklore and other accounts, and the list includes Mothman. What other creatures are considered to be cryptids? More than one may apply.* Bigfoot/Sasquatch* The Loch Ness Monster* The Jackalope* The Flatwoods Monster aka “Braxie”* For a year prior to the collapse of the Silver Bridge, the Mothman was sighted in the area, leading to the hypothesis that Mothman either caused or prophesied the accident. Which of the following characteristics were described by people who claimed to see the Mothman? More than one may apply. * Height between 6 to 7 feet with a humanoid form.* Wingspan 10 to 15 feet, resembling those of a bat or bird.* Large, glowing red eyes said to shine or glow in the dark.* The creature’s head seemed small or nonexistent, with the eyes appearing to be set directly into its shoulders or chest area.* What do skeptics of Mothman believe the sightings misidentified? More than one may apply.* Barn owls, barred owls and snowy owls. * Herons, or sandhill cranes.* An extra-dimensional spirit monster heralding the Age of Aquarius.* Richard Gere and Laura Linney starred in a 2002 movie about the Silver Bridge collapse. The Mothman Prophesies is a supernatural thriller about a journalist (Gere) whose wife sees the Mothman before she dies in a car accident. Two years later, he finds himself in Point Pleasant. Were any TV shows/episodes based on the Mothman? If so, name the show(s).* The 2002 movie kicked up interest in the Silver Bridge collapse and all things Mothman. Unveiled a year later, in 2003, Point Pleasant West Virginia, has its own Mothman statue made of stainless steel. How did artist Bob Roach land on the final design? * ...
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    27 mins
  • November '24 Trivia

    November '24 Trivia
    Nov 27 2024

    Hello, Readers. In an effort to give you something neutral to discuss at Thanksgiving gatherings, I give you River Trivia. You’ll find questions on hydrology, dams, locks, dredging, flood management, plus specific questions about the Ohio River in the aftermath of the Great Flood of 1937. Try them out at “the kids’ table” too.

    Thanks to everyone who reached out about October ‘24 Trivia. I love knowing that something I’ve written has made you ponder. In case you missed it or would like to share it (please do!) click the link below.

    Note to my fabulous new subscribers:

    Monthly trivia is for sport. It’s not a test of intelligence or character. I couldn’t answer these questions without a significant amount of research, either! Do your best and enjoy learning something new. Answers in the footnotes.

    QUESTIONS

    * What is the term for the total amount of water flowing past a given point in a river over a specified period?a) Water Tableb) Dischargec) Runoff

    * What is one primary purpose of constructing a dam on a river?a) To increase sediment transportb) To increase biodiversityc) To generate hydroelectric powerd) To prevent aquatic life migration

    * What is the function of a lock in river navigation?a) To stop water from flowing downstreamb) To raise or lower ships between sections of a river with different water levelsc) To prevent fish from migrating upstream

    * What is a common purpose of dredging in river management?a) To decrease sedimentation in reservoirsb) To remove sediment and maintain navigation channels

    c) To build damsd) To create artificial lakes

    * What is a common method used to reduce the impact of river flooding in urban areas?a) Channelizationb) Dredgingc) Levees and floodwallsd) Water diversion tunnels

    * In the Ohio River region, certain species have experienced conservation success and are no longer listed as endangered. One notable example was removed from Ohio's endangered species list in 2012 after substantial population recovery efforts. Its resurgence is attributed to habitat protection, environmental regulations like the banning of DDT, and ongoing conservation programs. What species is this?

    * Bald eagle

    * Longheaded darter fish

    * Red-tailed hawk

    * Scioto madtom

    * The Great Flood of 1937, also known as the Ohio River flood, was a catastrophic flood that occurred in late January and February of 1937. How many people were known to be killed in that cataclysmic event?

    * 189

    * 248

    * 385

    * Which of the following cities was 95% submerged during that flood?

    * Louisville, Kentucky

    * Jeffersonville, Indiana

    * Paducah, Kentucky

    * Yes or no to each option: did Franklin Delano Roosevelt visit this city in the wake of the flood?

    * Cincinnati, Ohio

    * Louisville, Kentucky

    * Evansville, Indiana

    * Paducah, Kentucky

    * The Flood Control Act of 1938 authorized extensive federal investments in dams, levees, and other flood control structures. Which of the following is/are true about the Act and its outcomes?

    * By constricting rivers with levees, areas on either side of the levees can see higher water levels and more destructive flooding.

    * The focus on structural solutions often neglected the natural functions of floodplains, leading to habitat loss and disruption of ecosystems.

    * The Act primarily targeted major river basins, leaving smaller communities and tributaries vulnerable to flooding.



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    21 mins

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