Nearly 50 Killed By US Ice Storms
Posted on January 16, 2007
The AP reports that deadly ice storms in the Midwest and Southern United States have killed nearly 50 people.
Power lines were down, highways were treacherous and spring-like temperatures were only a memory Tuesday in parts of the Northeast in the wake of the storm that earlier had plastered the Midwest and Plains with a heavy shell of ice.An MSNBC article says over half a million homes and businesses are without electricity in the Midwest and Northeast. More details on the Plains ice storm can be found here on Accuweather meteorologist Steve Penstone's blog and here on the Weather Channel Blog. Most recently ice and snow has caused travel problems in Seattle and Portalnd. This video from King5.com shows cars basically turned into bumper cars as they repeatedly lose control and slam into each other.The death toll from the storm was at least 46 in seven states.
The weight of the ice snapped tree limbs, shorted out transformers and made power lines sag, knocking out current to about 145,000 customers in New York state and New Hampshire on Monday, though service had been restored for roughly half of them by Tuesday morning.
"If you live here long enough, you just know the power's going to go out twice a year, at least. You don't worry about it," said Scott Towne, owner of Rondac Pet Services near Saratoga Springs, N.Y., where portable generators provided light and heat for about two-dozen dogs. "You make all the plans in advance that you can."