Ice storm
An ice storm is a type of winter storm characterized by freezing rain.
When rain falls onto freezing-cold ground, conditions can become dangerous.
The cold rain freezes as it touches the ground and other surfaces. This freezing rain covers everything with heavy, smooth ice. The ice-covered roads become slippery and dangerous. Driving becomes extremely hazardous as the ice causes most vehicles to skid out of control, which can cause devastating car crashes as well as even pile ups. Even pedestrians are severely affected as sidewalks become slippery, which can cause people to slip and fall and outside stairs can become an extreme injury hazard.
In addition to hazardous driving/walking conditions, branches or even whole trees may break from the weight of ice. Falling branches can block roads, tear down power and telephone lines and cause other damage. Even without overhead tree branches, the weight of the ice itself can snap power lines, and power poles as well (even the big steel frame electrical pylons have crumbled under the weight of ice before). This can leave people without power for as long as several days to even weeks. According to most meteorologists, just one quarter of an inch of ice accumulation can add about 500 pounds of weight per line span. Damage from ice storms is highly capable of shutting down entire metropolitan areas.
Notable ice storms
An example of an ice storm is the North American ice storm, which occurred from January 5th to the 9th, 1998. It caused massive power failures in several large cities in the southeastern provinces of Canada. It is known to be one of the worst ice storms in Canadian history. Whole trees snapped under the weight of the accumulated ice, blocking roads and destroying cars and houses. Dont you just hate it when ice storms occur it just really sucks! anyway to the point they cause pretty harsd damage to be predpared:P
References
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See also
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