We Massachusetts Yankees are a tough breed. We can be stubborn, disagreeable, and even downright cantankerous at times.

Massachusetts Yankees work hard, don't quit, and are among the most intuitive and creative people anywhere, especially when weather is involved.

Damn straight.

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Massachusetts folk have learned to cope with the heat, cold, rain, snow, hurricanes, blizzards, floods, tornadoes and even an occasional earthquake. It rolls off our backs.

So defensive are we that when it snows, we fight to preserve the parking space we cleared out for ourselves in front of the house, especially in densely-populated neighborhoods with multiple three-deckers.

We'll place chairs, garbage cans, traffic cones and other items in that cleared parking space to defend what we consider ours.

The Worcester Telegram & Gazette says, "The unofficial rule is that if you do the work to keep the space shoveled out, you should be able to have exclusive use of it."

This has led to many broken noses and black eyes over the years.

That leads to another ingenious winter weather-related invention: the "milk and bread alert."

Massachusetts: Birthplace Of The Winter Storm "Milk & Bread Alert"
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The milk and bread alert can be invoked during any impending weather event that might kick the bejeezus out of the local or regional power grid, including hurricanes. Mostly the milk and bread alert is issued when snow is in the forecast. It doesn't matter how much – or how little – accumulating snow is expected.

The general rule of a milk and bread alert is to rush to the store before anyone else and buy as much milk and bread as you can carry away. Some folks will even grab all the batteries and candles they can find.

AccuWeather says, "The idea of stocking up on milk, bread, and eggs before a major storm dates back to the Blizzard of 1978, which hammered New England."

"Many people were trapped in their homes for days and didn't have access to those products," says AccuWeather.

Health experts say stocking up on milk, bread and other perishable items is a dumb idea because without electricity, they will spoil quickly. Canned goods are more sensible provisions to stockpile in an impending weather emergency.

LOOK: The most expensive weather and climate disasters in recent decades

Stacker ranked the most expensive climate disasters by the billions since 1980 by the total cost of all damages, adjusted for inflation, based on 2021 data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The list starts with Hurricane Sally, which caused $7.3 billion in damages in 2020, and ends with a devastating 2005 hurricane that caused $170 billion in damage and killed at least 1,833 people. Keep reading to discover the 50 of the most expensive climate disasters in recent decades in the U.S.

Gallery Credit: KATELYN LEBOFF

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