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Everything about Ice Storm
9 articles across NWS
Freezing rain accumulating on surfaces, downing trees and power lines. Ice storms can leave communities without power for days or weeks across the central and eastern U.S.
Disaster History
Case studies and disaster history
The 2009 Kentucky Ice Storm: Carbon Monoxide Killed More People Than the Ice Did
January 26–28, 2009. The biggest ice storm in Kentucky history. 65 deaths across the region. Most were not from the ice itself - they were from carbon monoxide poisoning by generators and kerosene hea
The 2008 New England Ice Storm: The Storm No One Expected to Be That Bad
On December 11–12, 2008, an ice storm struck New England. In New Hampshire, 422,000 homes lost power - the worst outage in state history. Power was not fully restored until December 24 - two full week
The 1998 North American Ice Storm: Five Days of Rain, 1,000 Towers, One Month of Darkness
From January 4–10, 1998, five consecutive days of freezing rain fell on eastern Ontario and southern Quebec. 100mm of ice accumulated. More than 1,000 steel transmission towers collapsed in chain reac
The 2007 Oklahoma Ice Storm: When Trees Become Infrastructure Weapons
December 9–11, 2007. One inch of ice fell across Oklahoma. Every tree became a weapon. 641,000 customers lost power in the worst outage in Oklahoma history. A State of Emergency was declared for all 7
Winter Storm Uri (2021): How Texas's Isolated Power Grid Failed 4.5 Million Households
Winter Storm Uri knocked out power to 4.5 million Texas homes. The ERCOT grid came within 4 minutes and 37 seconds of total collapse. 246 people died from hypothermia and carbon monoxide poisoning. Te
Getting Started
What to do right now
Preparedness
Preparedness and self-reliance
Winter Driving Preparedness
Cold-weather vehicle readiness and the stuck-in-a-storm protocol. Pre-winter vehicle check covering battery CCA, tires, antifreeze, and wipers. Winter tires vs all-season comparison. The six-step stuck-in-a-storm survival protocol. When not to drive.
Ice Storm Preparedness: Power Outages, Staying Warm & Road Safety
Ice storms collapse power grids, make roads impassable, and can isolate households for days. Learn how to prepare for ice accumulation, power loss, and cold.
Freeze Protection for Home Water Systems
How to protect pipes, stored water, well pumps, and rain barrels from freezing. A fall winterization checklist and what to do when a pipe freezes anyway.
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