Atlanta's bumper-to-bumper traffic following a rare winter storm is like a scene out of "The Walking Dead" - cars lined up for miles, many abandoned.
The storm, which has killed at least six people, left children stranded in their schools and some motorists trapped on ice-covered Interstates for as many 18 hours, Reuters reported.
The National Guard was mobilized Wednesday in an effort to rescue those stranded on the ice-covered roads, offering them food, water and shelter. According to Gov. Nathan Deal, the main goal is to reach each stranded individual "and make sure we have enough shelter to get them off the roads and get them someplace warm," he told reporters.
Grassroot rescue efforts have also taken form, with the Facebook group "Stranded Motorists Help Jan 28, 2014" quickly gaining more than 10,000 followers. Posts include those by people both trying to get home as well as those looking for loved ones.
Deal said one of the main issues facing motorists was jackknifed 18-wheeler trucks that had cut off the path for many.
All told, less than 3 inches of snow had fallen by midnight Tuesday in Atlanta. The amount was, nevertheless, crippling for the region unaccustomed to much snow largely because initial weather models had predicted the main portion of the storm would make its way south of the city, Deal said.
"There is not a person in this room that could have predicted the degree and magnitude of the problem that developed," he said in a press conference.
In addition to Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, North Carolina and South Carolina have all declared a state of emergency.
Linda Moore told Fox News she spent 12 hours in her car on Interstate 65 south of Birmingham before she was rescued by a firefighter who used a ladder to help her cross the median wall. A shuttle bus took her to a hotel where she spent the night with other stranded drivers in a conference room.
"I boohooed a lot," she said. "It was traumatic. I'm just glad I didn't have to stay on that Interstate all night, but there are still people out there."
