In 1978 during February there was phonemenal snow fall on Exmoor. It all came down over a Saturday night. To give you an idea of the depth700 feet up the side of the hill, and I was walking along the house at first floor level.
As you can imagine transport came to a halt, except I could get out on the horses.
One farmer was cut of for three or four days. The first help he saw was a helicopter landing . He was much relived, till it turned out to be a load of reporters! They couldn't use anything he said. Local legend was that they did manage to get the helicopter above 12 bore range before he got back.
As for stupidity. Sunny Tilbury, one Saturday afternoon. A strange green substance started to bubble out of the drains at one of the multi story car parks. Police cordoned the area off, local radio started broadcasting the end of the world, people were escorted in to get there cars out, local Trumpton on full aleart!
In the middle of all this muggins was in the control room, sods law, the main Force Information Room was shut for viatl work and we'd been farmed out round the local staions. Frantic 999 cal from a woman. She'd got thsi stuff on her shoes and feet, was she going to die? Being practical I asked how she got covered in the stuff, the area was cordoned off with cones Police Do Not Cross Tape and all people were being escorted to the vehicles, by a safe route. Her reply 'Well, I saw all the tape, but didn't think it applied to me! So I just stepped over it!'