Atlanta ( CNN ) This is a tale of two storms . The one that ( kind of ) hit Atlanta and the one that hit everywhere else . Atlanta 's was anti-climactic . Everywhere else was worse . Ask folks along a line from Arkansas to Virginia . Unlike last year , when city officials were caught completely by surprise , Atlanta was prepared this time . But the storm stayed north of town . It did do some damage , slicking up roads and knocking out power to tens of thousands of people . Still , Snowmageddon 2015 it was n't . Georgia Gov . Nathan Deal did his part . He ordered a state of emergency for 51 northern counties . Authorities were ready too . There were more snow plows , more trucks to spread brine and they were out in force ahead of the bad weather . And people helped out by staying home or leaving work early . Still , social media was n't about to give the governor a break . `` As a stockholder of a grocery store here , I appreciate you guys invoking a false panic again . # ATLsnow , '' tweeted Tommy Sale . North of the city , there was lots of snow , especially in the mountains , but Atlanta mainly got rain . It was a disappointing prospect for those who had their hearts set on making a snowman from a rare snowfall . `` Serious question , how am I supposed to build a snowman with rain ? '' asked Angelica Monteon . `` lol , a little imagination and your freezer , '' responded Ashley Hamilton . Other parts of the South found enough snow to put together more than your basic snowman . In northeast Mississippi they were channeling `` Star Wars '' and the ice planet Hoth in creating a snowy version of an Imperial walker . In Alabama , the snow inspired a host of Elsas , Annas and Olafs to spread their wintry magic `` Frozen '' style . By early Thursday , the storm system had largely left the Deep South behind , instead spreading a blanket of white on the Carolinas and northward . North Carolina Gov . Pat McCrory noted that this marked the second time in two years that a major winter storm covered his entire state . There were no casualties or major injuries , thankfully , but the central part of the state got up to 7 inches while a few inches fell in the east . It was n't just that snow fell , but the type of snow -- heavy stuff that snapped branches and weighed down power lines , especially in Durham and Wake counties . That led to some 224,000 Duke Energy customers being in the dark at one point , a number that had fallen to about 78,000 by 6:25 p.m. Thursday . `` The biggest issue for us , especially Greensboro to the east , was power outages , '' McCrory said . `` That is something that ... we did n't anticipate . '' Thankfully , though , North Carolinians were ready in other ways . They heeded officials ' warnings by stocking up , staying off the roads and staying safe . The storm did leave behind its share of slippery misery . North of Atlanta , Interstate 75 was in gridlock Wednesday afternoon . Catching flights was a nightmare in some southern cities . Atlanta , Dallas and Charlotte were the hardest hit . Some 1,600 flights were canceled at all U.S. airports on Wednesday . Nearly 900 have been scrubbed for Thursday . In Alabama , Joe Day and some friends thought it would be better for them to drive home to Evansville , Indiana , instead of worrying with canceled flights . They did n't make it far . They were stuck on I-65 about 30 miles north of Birmingham . Day says a hill and snow-covered roadways led to backed-up traffic for miles . In Tennessee , 30 weather-related deaths have been reported in the past 10 days . A small child died in Mississippi after the car she was in hydroplaned . And a student from the University of Mississippi in Oxford was killed in a sledding accident Wednesday . The South 's fascination with snow is a bit bemusing for those who live north of the Mason-Dixon line . After all , in Boston , they were over winter about 70 inches ago . `` How 's the snow treating you , southern US folks ? Having fun yet ? '' asked Canadian L.M . Murphy on Twitter . `` DO N'T MOCK OUR SOUTHERN SNOW PANIC ! '' warned Whitney Waddell in Nashville . And then there was this bit of empathy from points north . `` I love all the snow pictures of my southern friends because they actually appreciate the snow , '' tweeted Abby Kreuser .
Unanticipated , widespread power outages the big problem in North Carolina . Comment: Bad weather contributes to miles-long backups in Alabama and Georgia .