Ice Storms: Impacts
Ice storms often produce extensive damage over large regions. The impacts of an ice storm are amplified when frigid temperatures, as occurred during the storm of 1951, follow the storm. Ice accumulated on roads and highways, railroads, and airport runways can bring transportation to a halt. During the Ice Storm of 1994, Interstate highways throughout Kentucky were closed by order of the Governor. Ice on telephone and power lines can cause these to break, or falling branches may break lines. Power in towns and cities may be out for days, and in some cases, it may be weeks before power is restored to more remote rural areas. As people have become increasingly dependent on electricity for heating and cooking, the possibility of experiencing a loss of electricity for an extended period has become more critical. While some of the direct impacts of ice storms are easily identified, these can produce a wide range of indirect impacts. Many of these are summarized in the following list.
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