Thousands Blacked Out As Ice Storm Wreaks Havoc

[Purveyor]

Source: Associated Press

By DANIEL SHEA – 14 minutes ago

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — Tree limbs snapped with a sound like gunshots, blacking out thousands of homes and businesses, and schools and government offices were closed Tuesday as a major storm spread a glaze of ice and snow from the southern Plains to the East Coast.

At least 19 deaths had been blamed on the weather.

Highway crews fought to keep up with slippery roads and in some places were blocked by fallen tree limbs and power lines. Ice had built up 3 inches thick in sections of Arkansas and Oklahoma.

The National Weather Service posted ice storm and winter storm warnings Tuesday along a broad swath from Texas and Oklahoma through the Mississippi and Ohio valleys all the way into northern New England. Radar showed smears of snow and freezing rain stretching from Texas to Pennsylvania during the evening.

Broken tree limbs weighted down by ice crashed onto power lines, cutting service to at least 165,000 homes and businesses in hard-hit Arkansas, utilities said.

Read more: http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jv320qXrVAVFqDYU3nglqZySw6YgD95VTMGO0

[Ian David]

1. This is gonna be some serious shit once that storm reaches civilization.

What?

WHAT??

WHAT???

Seriously though...

Good luck, Progressives of Arkansas.

[MO_Dem]

2. Yes, I think it's seriously dangerous

in northern Arkansas. Not safe for man nor beast.

[aroach]

10. My sister is in Bella Vista, AR

It's really bad there.

[MO_Dem]

11. Hope they all make it okay

KY3 is showing some pretty bad pictures, and I'm sure there's lots worse that they can't get to.

[pmorlan1]

3. It's in Kentucky too

We've been getting snow, sleet and freezing rain off and on today. Tonight because of the freezing rain we had several tree limbs come crashing down in our yard. One just narrowly missed one of our cars (unfortunately it took out the vent on our chimney). Now we can't move the car because the limb is blocking it in. We're afraid another limb might go sometime between now and the morning because they are forecasting more freezing rain from now until 4:30 a.m. It's really quite scary because we have a lot of trees in the yard. We lost power around 7 p.m. tonight but it came back up around 8:30 (yeah!). But with the freezing rain it could go out later tonight. I'm in the basement right now because I'm afraid of those dang trees. I hate Winter weather!

[alfredo]

5. Lexington is a mess. It's like a big glazed donut. We had a tree out

front break into three pieces. Luckily I was able to rouse the owners about the danger to their cars.

One part of the tree is over the steps out front. The back door is frozen shut.

[Child_Of_Isis]

7. I'm in Ohio

I am having tree problems also. My dogs cannot go out due to a dangerous limb hanging.

It doesn't look as if it is going to let up any time soon.

And oh yeah...my truck is parked under a huge tree. None of this is looking good.

[alfredo]

8. right now a heavy wet snow is falling. Oh joy. I will have images from my

front door. I can't get out due to the ice. Crews have arrived to clean away the damaged trees.

[Still Sensible]

4. Here in the Tulsa area

it is not as bad as Arkansas, nor as bad as the December '07 (just last winter) ice storm. We are under about half an inch of ice and about two inches of sleet on top of it. Travel is treacherous and schools are closed for a second day Wednesday.

Best of luck to Arkansas and all points east.

[gauguin57]

6. Please stay safe, all you DUers in the storm zone!

Sending good energy your way. Ice supposed to come to PA tomorrow -- but not the tree-snapping kind.

[jazzjunkysue]

9. Keep an eye on your basements over night: Flooding could ruin your

possessions.

I've lived through ice storms with no electricity for a week. If your basement floods, find a bucket and prepare to bail and bail and bail, or find some kind of pump and a gas generator to plug it into.

Start cooking everything in your freezer when the power goes out, and gather all the clean water you can now.

Good luck, everyone. It's not fun. I've been there.

Heart goes out to you...

:hug:

[RushIsRot]

12. I live in NW Arkansas. We lost power, but I have a generator

that will last as long as the propane holds out. So far, so good.

Fortunately, I have had my phone service restored so I can surf the net.