CARY, N.C. — North Carolina simply does not get that much snow, so cities and towns do not keep enough resources on hand to deal with big storms. But after the blizzard of 2000, they found some creative ways of handling winter storms.

Gary Hudgins is part of a team of plow drivers from Michigan who have been helping Cary with snow removal since the blizzard of 2000. The team drove all night Wednesday to get here. Their 4-wheel drive pick-up trucks with moveable blades are ideal for clearing tight spots like cul-de-sacs.

"We can do it a little faster and we got better equipment," Hudgins said. "I know if you get a half-inch down here, it paralyzes the area."

People who live in the Chesney Glen neighborhood say they were pleasantly surprised to see how quickly the Michigan crews cleaned their streets.

"The plows came and, as I said within an hour, the whole place was cleared and we were quite surprised. It didn't happen this way when it snowed like this in 2000," said resident Jim Metcalf.

Cary also contracts with a company in Garner which provides 14 motor graders and 15 backhoes. It keeps the town from having to put snow removal equipment and personnel in its budget that it rarely uses.

Cary is not the only town that does this. Raleigh is doing it as well. Since 2000, having contractors on standby has become a standard practice in the area.