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Midwest Ice Storm Grounds Flights, Knocks Out Power, Blamed for 6 Deaths
December 10, 2007

ST. LOUIS — An ice storm slickened roads and sidewalks, grounded hundreds of flights, and cut power to tens of thousands Sunday in a swath from the Southern Plains to the Great Lakes as even colder weather threatened.

The wintry weather was expected to continue through midweek, and ice storm warnings stretched from Texas to Pennsylvania. "Tomorrow may be even more of a dilemma than today because we're going to get even a little bit more colder," said John Pike, a meteorologist in the Weather Service's office in Norman, Okla.

Six traffic deaths were blamed on icy roads in Oklahoma. Roads along much of the state were considered slick and hazardous by the Oklahoma Department of Transportation, with two sections of Interstate 40 being closed temporarily. More than 130,000 customers lost power in Missouri, Oklahoma, Illinois and Kansas, utilities reported.

Some communities in Missouri reported ice as thick as three-quarters of an inch, the National Weather Service said. "The rural roads are pretty rough, the main highways are pretty clear, and the overpasses are slick," said John Christiansen, emergency management director in Missouri's St. Clair County.

FOX News/AP
complete article

That's really scary and from what I've heard on CNN as some areas will get 3" of the stuff, that will knock out major power and do big damage to trees. Good luck to them

So strange to think this is just a few hundred miles away. Here we're in a weird and record setting heat wave, near 80F today.

I believe xstream lives in Kansas City and they're getting hit by power outages. I hope he's OK.

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Crippling Midwest Ice Storm Knocks Out Power to Over a Half Million; At Least 22 Killed
December 11, 2007

DES MOINES, Iowa — Schools closed for thousands of youngsters, Iowa's biggest airport shut down and thick layers of ice brought down more power lines Tuesday as a major ice storm glazed the nation's midsection.

At least 22 deaths had been blamed on the storm system since the waves of sleet and freezing rain started during the weekend. Hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses had no electricity. Officials in Missouri, Kansas and Oklahoma had declared states of emergency.

President Bush declared an emergency in Oklahoma on Tuesday, ordering federal aid to supplement state and local response efforts. Iowa's largest school district closed for the day in Des Moines, telling its nearly 31,000 students to stay home, and kids across most of Oklahoma and in the Kansas City, Mo., area stayed home for a second day.

Schools also were closed in parts of Wisconsin, including Milwaukee Public Schools with 85,000 students. "We thought about our kids on foot," said Milwaukee schools spokeswoman Roseann St. Aubin. Some drivers couldn't even get to their buses, she said. About an inch of ice was expected Tuesday over parts of Iowa, followed by up to 5 inches of sleet and snow.

FOX News/AP
complete article

One-third of the entire state of Oklahoma is without power -- 77 counties. That's amazing.

phileysmiley wrote:

One-third of the entire state of Oklahoma is without power -- 77 counties. That's amazing.

Ya, reminds me of our ice storm. Nasty stuff for sure.