(CNN) The finger-pointing began almost immediately -- and with good reason.

A mere few inches of snow had shut down Atlanta, forcing children to spend the night at schools, stranding drivers on interstates and making the city a laughingstock to the country.

Why did this happen? Who's to blame?

And, more importantly, could this happen elsewhere?

Perhaps.

Unlike Boston and New York, with their long-established infrastructures and diverse mass transit systems, Atlanta resembles the new American city.

JUST WATCHED Atlanta storm blame game Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Atlanta storm blame game 02:42

JUST WATCHED Gov. Deal: I'm willing to take the blame Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Gov. Deal: I'm willing to take the blame 00:42

JUST WATCHED Atlanta mayor: We made a mistake Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Atlanta mayor: We made a mistake 02:14

It's not just a city but also a region; a metro area that claims its outlying suburbs as its own -- as do Orlando and Dallas and Charlotte. It spans 28 counties sprawled over an area the size of Massachusetts.

On Tuesday, a rare weather phenomenon mixed with poor planning and an overdependence on cars conspired to create a perfect storm.

What can other cities learn from Atlanta's debacle?

Let's comb through the claims and realities:

CLAIM: This fiasco could have been avoided if Atlanta had a mass transit system like Boston's or Chicago's

Both Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed and Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal put much of the blame on the fact that everyone -- government, businesses and schools -- all tried to go home at the same time, clogging highways for hours.

"I said immediately yesterday that releasing all of these folks was not the right way to go," Reed said Wednesday. "If I had my druthers, we would have staggered the closures."

REALITY: Yes, it could have

But the problem highlights how Atlanta and cities like it depend almost exclusively on cars. Atlanta does have a commuter train system, but it doesn't serve the whole metro area.

While the city has a workday population of 1 million, the metro area's population is 6 million.

And when offices and schools let out Tuesday, the masses got into their cars to head to the suburbs. An expansive public transportation system would have undoubtedly alleviated some of the ensuing traffic stress.

This week's debacle is also disturbing because if another catastrophe were to hit and roads were the only path out, Atlanta would be in the same situation again.

While a recent poll shows that many in the metro Atlanta area support expanded mass transit, the city hasn't figured out a way to pay for it.

Photos: Photos: Freezing temperatures sweep U.S. Photos: Photos: Freezing temperatures sweep U.S. Freezing temperatures sweep U.S. – A car lies half submerged in the Cahaba River in Mountain Brook, Alabama, on Thursday, January 30. The driver was able to escape before the car slid into the river during a snow storm on Tuesday and was not injured. A wave of arctic air that started over the Midwest and Plains spread to the Southeast, bringing snow, freezing ice and sleet to a region that doesn't deal with such weather very often. Hide Caption 1 of 42 Photos: Photos: Freezing temperatures sweep U.S. Freezing temperatures sweep U.S. – Ice forms swirls on the banks of the Cahaba River in Vestavia Hills, Alabama, on January 30. Hide Caption 2 of 42 Photos: Photos: Freezing temperatures sweep U.S. Freezing temperatures sweep U.S. – Travelers wait out flight delays at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport on January 30. Hide Caption 3 of 42 Photos: Photos: Freezing temperatures sweep U.S. Freezing temperatures sweep U.S. – Cars are left abandoned at the bottom of a hill in Birmingham, Alabama, on January 30. Hide Caption 4 of 42 Photos: Photos: Freezing temperatures sweep U.S. Freezing temperatures sweep U.S. – Vehicles remain stranded along Interstate 20 in Leeds, Alabama, on Wednesday, January 29. Hide Caption 5 of 42 Photos: Photos: Freezing temperatures sweep U.S. Freezing temperatures sweep U.S. – Abandoned cars are piled up on the median of an ice-covered road in Atlanta on January 29. Hide Caption 6 of 42 Photos: Photos: Freezing temperatures sweep U.S. Freezing temperatures sweep U.S. – Police monitor a fire January 29 in a vehicle left overnight by a motorist who was stranded in Brookhaven, Georgia. Hide Caption 7 of 42 Photos: Photos: Freezing temperatures sweep U.S. Freezing temperatures sweep U.S. – A lone car travels on Interstate 75/85 in downtown Atlanta on January 29, a day after the roadway was packed with vehicles. Hide Caption 8 of 42 Photos: Photos: Freezing temperatures sweep U.S. Freezing temperatures sweep U.S. – Sue Morrison watches as Chris McAdams scrapes ice from her car on January 29 in Panama City Beach, Florida. Hide Caption 9 of 42 Photos: Photos: Freezing temperatures sweep U.S. Freezing temperatures sweep U.S. – Kevin Moore hands out snacks and water to stranded motorists on Interstate 285 in Dunwoody, Georgia, on January 29. Hide Caption 10 of 42 Photos: Photos: Freezing temperatures sweep U.S. Freezing temperatures sweep U.S. – Traffic is snarled along Interstate 285, north of metro Atlanta, on January 29. Hide Caption 11 of 42 Photos: Photos: Freezing temperatures sweep U.S. Freezing temperatures sweep U.S. – A man stands on the frozen roadway January 29 as he waits for traffic to clear along Interstate 75 in Macon, Georgia. Hide Caption 12 of 42 Photos: Photos: Freezing temperatures sweep U.S. Freezing temperatures sweep U.S. – Caution tape is wrapped around a car that crashed into a tree after the driver lost control in Snellville, Georgia, on January 29. Hide Caption 13 of 42 Photos: Photos: Freezing temperatures sweep U.S. Freezing temperatures sweep U.S. – The ice-covered interstate highways running through Atlanta appear empty on January 29. Hide Caption 14 of 42 Photos: Photos: Freezing temperatures sweep U.S. Freezing temperatures sweep U.S. – Icicles hang off a camellia bush in Savannah, Georgia's historic Forsyth Park after freezing rain hit the area on January 29. Hide Caption 15 of 42 Photos: Photos: Freezing temperatures sweep U.S. Freezing temperatures sweep U.S. – Traffic moves past an ice-covered hill on Interstate 75 in Covington, Kentucky, on January 29. Hide Caption 16 of 42 Photos: Photos: Freezing temperatures sweep U.S. Freezing temperatures sweep U.S. – A police officer talks with a crash victim who was involved in a five-car pileup in Sandy Springs, Georgia, early on January 29. Hide Caption 17 of 42 Photos: Photos: Freezing temperatures sweep U.S. Freezing temperatures sweep U.S. – As dawn breaks on January 29, southbound traffic is at a standstill near downtown Atlanta. Hide Caption 18 of 42 Photos: Photos: Freezing temperatures sweep U.S. Freezing temperatures sweep U.S. – Gavin Chambers plays an electronic game January 29 at Oak Mountain Intermediate School in Indian Springs, Alabama. The severe weather forced thousands of students to spend the night in various school buildings across the state. Hide Caption 19 of 42 Photos: Photos: Freezing temperatures sweep U.S. Freezing temperatures sweep U.S. – Abandoned vehicles in Dunwoody, Georgia, line Interstate 285 early on January 29. Hide Caption 20 of 42 Photos: Photos: Freezing temperatures sweep U.S. Freezing temperatures sweep U.S. – A DeKalb County school bus sits abandoned near Interstate 285 in Dunwoody on January 29. Hide Caption 21 of 42 Photos: Photos: Freezing temperatures sweep U.S. Freezing temperatures sweep U.S. – People work to clear stranded vehicles on County Road 25 in Wilsonville, Alabama, on Tuesday, January 28. Hide Caption 22 of 42 Photos: Photos: Freezing temperatures sweep U.S. Freezing temperatures sweep U.S. – Snow falls on cattle at Todd Galliher's farm in Harmony, North Carolina, on January 28. Hide Caption 23 of 42 Photos: Photos: Freezing temperatures sweep U.S. Freezing temperatures sweep U.S. – Two women are stranded at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport on January 28 after flights were canceled due to the weather. Hide Caption 24 of 42 Photos: Photos: Freezing temperatures sweep U.S. Freezing temperatures sweep U.S. – Motorists jam Interstate 75/85 in Atlanta on January 28. Hide Caption 25 of 42 Photos: Photos: Freezing temperatures sweep U.S. Freezing temperatures sweep U.S. – A semi slides off the road as the driver tries to avoid another wrecked truck as snow begins to accumulate on Interstate 65 in Clanton, Alabama, on January 28. Clanton lies between the capital, Montgomery, and the state's biggest city, Birmingham. Hide Caption 26 of 42 Photos: Photos: Freezing temperatures sweep U.S. Freezing temperatures sweep U.S. – A man puts sand on the steps of his business in downtown Northport, Alabama, on January 28. Northport is near Tuscaloosa in the central-west part of the state. Hide Caption 27 of 42 Photos: Photos: Freezing temperatures sweep U.S. Freezing temperatures sweep U.S. – Traffic travels along the highway near downtown Birmingham on January 28. Hide Caption 28 of 42 Photos: Photos: Freezing temperatures sweep U.S. Freezing temperatures sweep U.S. – With temperatures around -10 degrees, commuters wait for a bus in Chicago on January 27. Hide Caption 29 of 42 Photos: Photos: Freezing temperatures sweep U.S. Freezing temperatures sweep U.S. – The Duquesne Incline climbs Mount Washington across the frozen Ohio, Allegheny and Monongahela rivers in downtown Pittsburgh on January 28. Hide Caption 30 of 42 Photos: Photos: Freezing temperatures sweep U.S. Freezing temperatures sweep U.S. – Steam rises from Lake Michigan in Chicago on Monday, January 27. Hide Caption 31 of 42 Photos: Photos: Freezing temperatures sweep U.S. Freezing temperatures sweep U.S. – Workers dump sand across a bridge in Covington, Louisiana, on January 27. Hide Caption 32 of 42 Photos: Photos: Freezing temperatures sweep U.S. Freezing temperatures sweep U.S. – A man jumps off a snow-covered sidewalk to cross a downtown Cleveland street January 27. A minor car accident is in the background. Hide Caption 33 of 42 Photos: Photos: Freezing temperatures sweep U.S. Freezing temperatures sweep U.S. – Ice forms as waves crash along the Lake Michigan shore January 27 in Chicago. Hide Caption 34 of 42 Photos: Photos: Freezing temperatures sweep U.S. Freezing temperatures sweep U.S. – A strong wind kicks up snow Sunday, January 26, in Vadnais Heights, Minnesota, creating drifts over roads and parking lots. Hide Caption 35 of 42 Photos: Photos: Freezing temperatures sweep U.S. Freezing temperatures sweep U.S. – The Cincinnati neighborhood of Mount Adams is shown blanketed in snow on Saturday, January 25. Hide Caption 36 of 42 Photos: Photos: Freezing temperatures sweep U.S. Freezing temperatures sweep U.S. – People walk in a snow squall January 25 in Trenton, New Jersey. Hide Caption 37 of 42 Photos: Photos: Freezing temperatures sweep U.S. Freezing temperatures sweep U.S. – Cars sit in drifts and plowed snow on January 25 in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Hide Caption 38 of 42 Photos: Photos: Freezing temperatures sweep U.S. Freezing temperatures sweep U.S. – A North Hudson County firefighter walks in front of an ice-covered vehicle near a building where a six-alarm fire was put out January 24 in Union City, New Jersey. Hide Caption 39 of 42 Photos: Photos: Freezing temperatures sweep U.S. Freezing temperatures sweep U.S. – Kyle Malott scraps the ice off his girlfriend's car near Covington, Louisiana, on January 24. Hide Caption 40 of 42 Photos: Photos: Freezing temperatures sweep U.S. Freezing temperatures sweep U.S. – Ben Eggart pushes Hannah Graham down a hill at Girard Park in Lafayette, Louisiana, on January 24. Hide Caption 41 of 42 Photos: Photos: Freezing temperatures sweep U.S. Freezing temperatures sweep U.S. – Ice floats by the Chicago skyline on Lake Michigan on Thursday, January 23. Hide Caption 42 of 42

JUST WATCHED Hot chocolate given to stranded drivers Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Hot chocolate given to stranded drivers 04:02

A transportation tax proposal recently failed, with some saying it would have spent too much money on roads instead of light rail.

CLAIM: Atlanta needs a city government more like New York's

Former Lt. Gen. Russel Honore, who coordinated relief efforts along the Gulf Coast after Hurricane Katrina, said things would have gone more smoothly this week if Atlanta's city government was more like New York's.

"They need to have in Atlanta the same type of government you have in New York City, where the mayor controls the city and everything around that city, and the mayor can make decisions on road closures; he has emergency powers as when schools close," he said.

The schools and the government should have been closed Tuesday, he said.

REALITY: The metro area has many leaders

Metro Atlanta comprises 140 cities and towns -- most of which have their own leaders making their own decisions. And even within the city of Atlanta, Reed doesn't call all the shots, like New York's mayor.

Reed said he doesn't have the ultimate say on some issues. For example, Atlanta Public Schools was responsible for deciding when to send students home. And the state is responsible for clearing interstate freeways.

But the mayor also said he would have done some things differently.

"We made a mistake by not staggering when people should leave, so I will take responsibility for that -- in lessons learned," Reed said Wednesday.

"If we had to do it again, we would have said, 'Schools, you go first, private sector, you go second, and government goes last.' And so I think that would have helped."

CLAIM: This was an "unexpected storm," and Atlanta didn't play it safe like New Orleans did

As thousands of Atlanta commuters sat motionless on interstates Tuesday night into Wednesday, Georgia's governor said the path of the storm caught officials off guard.

"We have been confronted with an unexpected storm that has hit the metropolitan Atlanta area," Deal told reporters late Tuesday night.

He said as of 10 a.m. ET on Tuesday, "it was still, in most of the forecasts, anticipated that the city of Atlanta would only have a mild dusting or a very small accumulation, if any, and that the majority of the effects of the storm would be south of here. Preparations were made for those predictions."

REALITY: No it wasn't, and Atlanta should have

The National Weather Service put the entire Atlanta metro area under a winter storm warning at 3:38 a.m. Tuesday. The agency warned of 1 to 2 inches of snow accumulation and said it would begin "as early as mid-morning and last into tonight."

CNN meteorologist Chad Myers said Atlanta had plenty of warning. Myers himself had predicted that up to 2 inches of snow would fall.

In reality, just over 2 inches of snow landed in Atlanta. While that's nothing for most Northern cities, it can be a huge burden for Southern cities not accustomed to it.

Contrast Atlanta's response to New Orleans'. It, too, was hit with snow and ice this week, but it decided to play it safe by closing certain roads.

To be sure, New Orleans responded slowly to the disastrous Hurricane Katrina. But it's learned to heed warnings.

Georgia's governor said he's also learned from this week.

"We all have some lessons we need to learn here from this," Deal said. "And I think we all will."

CLAIM: Atlanta didn't pre-treat roads the way Buffalo (and many other Northern cities) do

It was a common refrain from drivers who sat more than 10 hours on Atlanta roads: Where are the salting trucks?

Ashley McCants spent half a day in her car before she gave up, got out and carried her son 2 miles to a stranger's house, where they spent the night.

During those 12 hours, she didn't see a single salting truck or snowplow.

"It was disheartening," McCants said. "I felt like everyone knew this was coming."

She said the amount of snow "was not that horrible." But "Atlanta was not prepared for it."

REALITY: Atlanta isn't entirely responsible, and the city doesn't have the capacity

While many pointed their fingers at the mayor, Atlanta's only responsible for surface streets in the city. It's actually the state that's responsible for maintaining interstates, where much of the gridlock occurred.

The Georgia Department of Transportation commissioner said crews had been deployed farther south, but then scrambled closer to Atlanta as the storm got under way. But the traffic already choking the roads also blocked salt and sand trucks and snowplows.

Myers, who is originally from Buffalo, New York, said streets there are salted well in advance of a coming storm. But Atlanta doesn't have the capacity for that kind of treatment.

"We simply have never purchased the amount of equipment necessary," he said. "Why would you in a city that gets one snow event every three years? Why would you buy 500 snowplows and salt trucks and have them sit around for 1,000 days, waiting for the next event?"