Ice storm - Mid-Missouri - Dec 10, 2007

[ksu_chainsaw]

Our power got knocked out here at about 1am on early tuesday morning, and didn't come back on until about 1030 this morning.  I have mostly chinese elms in my yard, and it looks like i have more branches in the yard than i do in the air.  The neighbors still dont have power, and some local towns such as Troy, Highland, and White Cloud don't expect to have power back until late this week.  At least I had access to a small 2K generator to power my furnace while the power was out. 

Charles

[ElectricAl]

Well we got hit, just like Bibbyman predicted :-\

Our portion of the storm was not as bad as Oaklahoma

The hybrid Willows sure don't like the Ice.

Those are 40' trees bent over to the ground


Linda and I had to do some quick pruning to protect the power line to the shop.

I can't think of anything more fun than climbing a 32' aluminum ladder in an ice Storm.

Linda had to hook a couple to the tractor and pull as I cut the limbs.





Quite a butcher job but we saved the power line 8)

[farmerdoug]

ElectricAl,

Looks like a crystal palace around your place there.  Glad that you have been able to stave off the problem in the bud.  

Farmerdoug

[Dan_Shade]

those ice storms are bueatiful, but boy are they damaging....

[ElectricAl]

Doug,

This is our third ice Storm for 2007. It's starting to not be so much fun :(

Like Dan said there is some good looking Ice treasures out there. 


For us it's just been inconvenient. 
Lost wages, and extra fuel for equipment.
But no expensive damage yet.

[farmerdoug]

The worst ice storm I remember was from1975.  We were without power for more than 10 days.  One third of the woods was on the ground and the wildlife died in great numbers.  I still can see the damaged trees that survived to this day in the woods.  We have had smaller ice storms since but nothing compares to the storm of '75.  I ice was so thick on the poles and lines they snapped off out in the middle of open fields.   In the woods it was a war zone.  Loggers would not even cut it.  Waited a year and started to cut the mess into firewwod as it was worthless for milling.  It took years to cut it all for firewood.  The neighboring woods just rotted. :

I do remember walking the fields thinking of the beauty of it inspite of the destruction.  Just remember 'God giveth and God taketh away'.  In 50 years they will never know it happened in the woods.

Farmerdoug

[Norm]

It is amazing that Al is only a couple of hours east of us and got that much damage. We woke up to freezing rain that coated everything with about a 1/4" of ice but luckily for us it turned to snow shortly after. Even 45 miles south of us got hit hard, we were the start of where snow was the heaviest.

When we built this place we had to have a new power line put in. I cut every tree along the line for just such an occasion. The only problem was the neighbor just up the road has real big rotted soft maples that lean right up to the line.

[Bibbyman]

We were on the north edge of the worst of it on Sunday.  Town is about 10 miles north of us and you can see considerable damage on the south side of town where the north side looked like it got mostly snow. The county east of us reported only 150 people without power.

Some ice melted off the trees and most of it melted off the ground yesterday even though the temperature didn't hardly get above freezing.  We're are to get some sunshine today and I hope that helps.  But it's not expected to get above freezing.

[thecfarm]

ElectricAl,are you getting storms just like this,3 times in '07? Like I said we had one back in 1998.Those pictures haunt me.White birches and white maple was our big damage.I have some down in the meadow and there was some damage,but nothing like what was down by my wife's place.Good luck with all of you that are in that mess.I would much rather have the snow.The weather report was calling for some rain,freezing rain,sleet and snow.I suppose from the storm you all got?All that I got was 2" of snow.Just right.

[Roxie]

The storm has made it's way east.  We are currently getting rain and it's 34 degrees.  We're right on the Mason Dixon Line and according to the weather maps, we could get rain, freezing rain, snow or sleet.  I guess all they know for certain is that we're gonna get some precipatation.  Just north of us they are calling for heavy snow. 

[Kansas]

I lost my power at the farm at 12:30 am tuesday morning. Went to the mill tuesday morning and its without power, along with the entire town. Westar Energy, which serves the mill, says that some power wont be restored until Dec 22nd, and thats with no more storms. I havent heard what the REA that serves the farm is estimating-I havent seen any of their trucks in the area. I bought a portable welder/generator at a farm auction about 3 weeks-I still havent welded with it, but its been about the nicest present I ever bought myself.

[GF]

We got hammered here also in Oklahoma, they estimated that over 1 million in Oklahoma were without power.  I lost power sunday at 11:00am and as of today still have no power along with all the people in my area.  The past couple of days I have been running around wiring generators into my family and friends house so the can power their refrig and wells for water.  Now they are predicting 6" of snow friday night and they said some weather computer models are showing 12".  

I now have plety of trees to cut sad part is they are at my house.  The pine trees look like standing poles limbs are all stripped and the tops are broke off.  Pear trees now look like mushrooms the limbs are all broke all the way to the botton of the tree.

Gary

[sawguy21]

I really empathize with all of you. I have seen some doozies so have a good idea of what you are going through. Stay safe and keep in touch.

[Bibbyman]

We were listing to the radio on our way back home from town just now and they said there were still 75,000 without power in Missouri.  That's down 100,000 from yesterday.  They said they were making progress and thought most would be back up today. 

We saw a couple of bucket trucks out working just up the road from us.  I guess they have most of the main lines up and are out getting the more remote single outages.

[SwampDonkey]

Looks like a mess, call it what you want, but it's still a mess.

So far we have been lucky this year. We had some freezing rain a couple times, but no buildup. We had that storm back in 1998 up here to. It was worst up between Montreal and Ottawa in sugar bush country. Also SE New Brunswick was hit hard. Over the years I can only remember being without power at the farm here for no more than 4 hours. A couple years ago, or three, we had an ice storm that followed up the river valley from Woodstock to Bristol and we never had it out this way. It stayed close to the river, weird. February-March are bad times for ice here. This winter has been dang cold and started early. Went from summer to winter, no fall besides the changing foliage. The Almanac said a cold traditional winter for here and they seem to be hitting it so far.

Time to stuff some organo-carbon into the heating system.  ;D

[Handy Andy]

  We got our power back on at the farm today, and the ice was fallin off the trees. The ice melted off the grass except where the shade protected it.  Funny to look down at the crick and the ice is still on the north side of the trees, and melted off the south side.  We wound up getting 4" of rain that night it was freezin, been dry since we got the beans cut, just 1/4" once and .15 another.  Would have been a nice rain without the freezin. 

[Furby]

You folks in IN,IL,OH ready for the next round ???
It's headed your way!

[SwampDonkey]

16 " expected here starting Sunday evening. I don't think there are many sleds around now, hardly a track. Of course they are so expensive now and when you buy one the warranty runs out the other 8 months it's parked in the shed.

[WH_Conley]

Looks like it is coming up the Ohio Valley right now, just started here, guess we will see what we get.

[ronwood]

Snowing in Mo. Looks like we have about 3 in. and the forecast is calling for up to 10 in. of snow. At least it is not ice this time. How's it is going your way Bibbyman?

Ron

[Bibbyman]

I've not been out but it looks like less than 3" here right now.  Mary went out on her Saturday morning milk run.  She'll update me on the local weather report when she gets back.   ;D

[JV]

The prediction for us in northcentral Indiana is up to 17" with 40 mph wind gusts.  I've got the backhoe ready to go and may wish I had the radiator fixed on the dozer.  Oh well, why worry, I'm retired and no commitments right now.  My wife wants to get a few groceries, so I guess I had better go with her.  Several years ago I would have been on standby waiting for a call to plow snow on a 12,000' runway and staying for the duration.  Looks like the boys are going to have a busy season.  The biggest aggravation is the wet, soggy ground keeping me out of the woods.

[Faron]

Snow this morning, then rain, and now looks like a little freezing rain. :-\  I don't think we will have near as much as you guys in the west had, or at least I hope not.

[semologger]

havent been on for a while just trying to catch up with things. but i am just a few hours away from you guys and all i have been getting is ran. finaly got some snow today probly around 1 inch or so nothing much. there is so much of a diferance what a few hours south can make. southern mo never does get near as much snow as mid missouri. glad ya wasnt out in the cold to long guys. people in jeferson city was i heard.

[Bro. Noble]

At least it is not ice this time. How's it is going your way Bibbyman?

Ron

Well,  we arranged for someone to milk the stoopid cows and we all went up that way to see for ourselves what Bibby was complaining about.  On hwy 54 from Eldon to Ashland,  there was still thick ice over all the trees Friday afternoon.  The cedars were all hunkered down to the ground in little ice covered mounds.  Sat morning we woke (in Columbia) with three or four inches of new snow and more coming down.  Decided to head back south where the livin is easy ;D

While we were up that way,  we were able to do a little Christmas shopping at the discount malls  at 'Lake of the Ozarks' and see our son recieve his PHD at Univ of MO. ;D