January 2009 North American ice storm

The January 2009 North American ice storm was a major ice storm that impacted parts of Kansas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, West Virginia, Tennessee, and Kentucky. The storm produced widespread power outages for over 2 million people due to heavy ice accumulation. The hardest-hit areas were in Kentucky with over 500,000 residences without power during the height of the storm, including 100,000 without power for over one week, and northern Arkansas, with 300,000 residences without power. This ice storm killed 65 people nationwide and 35 in Kentucky.[2] Most deaths were attributed to carbon monoxide poisoning due to power generators or kerosene heaters being used indoors without proper ventilation. Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear called up the entire Kentucky Army National Guard to deal with the after-effects of this storm, the largest National Guard call up in that state's history.[3][4]

January 2009 North American ice storm
TypeIce storm
Winter storm
FormedJanuary 25, 2009
DissipatedJanuary 30, 2009
Lowest pressure1008 mbar (hPa) [1]
Lowest temperature−35°F (−37.2°C) wind chill in Michigan; −22°F (−30°C) air temperature in Minnesota
Maximum snowfall or ice accretion2.5 inches (ice); 13 inches (snow)
DamageAt least $125 million
Power outages1.3 million
Casualties65 (35 in KY)
Areas affectedparts of Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Tennessee, and Kentucky

Emergency response teams from NRWA state affiliates, including the Arkansas, Kentucky, Oklahoma, Missouri, and Florida rural water associations, provided portable generators and technical assistance to maintain the water supply in the impacted areas.[5][6]

  • A row of bushes in Floyd County, Indiana.
  • Pine needles coated in ice in Central Kentucky.
  • Tree split apart under the weight of ice on its branches in Siloam Springs, Arkansas.

See also

References
  1. "Daily Weather Map for January 29, 2009". HPC. Archived from the original on April 30, 2009. Retrieved 2009-04-30.
  2. "National Death Toll Hits 55 in Ice Storm, 24 in KY". ABC News. 2009. Archived from the original on 2011-07-18. Retrieved 2009-02-02.
  3. "Storm-Struck Ky. Calls Up Entire Nat'l Guard". WFSB Hartford. Jan 31, 2009. Archived from the original on Feb 4, 2009. Retrieved June 18, 2010.
  4. "Storm-struck KY calls up entire Army Nat'l Guard". My Way News. Jan 31, 2009. Archived from the original on Feb 12, 2009. Retrieved Feb 2, 2009.
  5. "Kentucky Ice Storm Update". National Rural Water Association. February 2, 2009. Archived from the original on January 2, 2011. Retrieved February 11, 2009.
  6. "Arkansas Rural water fighting ice to bring generators to powerless utilities". National Rural Water Association. 2009-01-29. Archived from the original on 2011-01-02. Retrieved 2009-01-29.
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