NE blizzard kick-starts memories of '78

BROOKVILLE, Ohio (WDTN) - The record still stands.  More than a foot of snow fell on January 26, 1978.  That's the most snow to fall in a day in Dayton.

Bob Batz was a firefighter in Brookville at the time.  Batz lived only one block from the firehouse, but in January of 1978 he remembers staying there at least five days straight without going home.

" We had to go to quite a few places in the country, out in the country because we had to check on them to
to make sure they were alright because they didn't have any communication with us and we didn't have any with them. We filled our days. It was an incredible experience when it comes down to it," Batz told 2 NEWS.

Batz remembers people running out of food.  51 people died in Ohio.  Batz was proud of how his community responded.

"This community did so well. This community cooperated, this community took care of each other. It was absolutely incredible. It was like a team effort, a spur of a moment team effort, said Batz.