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Ice Storms: Social and Economic Impact
- Costs and losses to livestock producers
- Loss of livestock due to exposure
- Greater mortality due to Increased vulnerability to disease
- Increased feed costs
- Dairy operations dependent on electric milking machines
- Lost revenue
- Loss of dairy herd due to infectious disease
- Cost of supplemental water for livestock if onsite ponds and streams are frozen
- Machinery and farm vehicles that will not operate in cold weather
- Loss of timber production
- Urban, residential, and commercial impacts
- Availability of water for municipal use due to frozen and burst water lines
- House fires from overburdened chimneys
- Vehicles that will not operate in cold weather
- Cost of keeping transportation lines clear of ice and snow
- Damage created by limbs and trees falling on buildings, vehicles, and other objects
- Losses to nurseries and landscaping businesses
- Health
- Injuries and fatalities in weather-related traffic accidents
- Injuries and fatalities from pedestrians falling on icy surfaces or being struck by falling objects
- Hypothermia
- Carbon monoxide poisoning due to running automobile engines to produce heat or using faulty alternative heating systems in homes
- Disruption of services
- Power
- Communications
- Government offices and schools closed
- Emergency services unavailable or longer response times, including fire, police, and emergency medical services
- Garbage collection halted
- General economic effects
- Revenue loss from lost production in business and industry
- Negative impact of economic multipliers
- Higher energy costs
- Costs to repair damaged infrastructure
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