Rain freezing as it hits the ground is causing power outages in the Southeast as the resulting ice builds up on power lines and trees. There are also problems in Tennessee, Alabama and South Carolina. The same conditions moved into North Carolina several hours ago. The system causing the problems could persist overnight, causing more black ice on roadways and additional build-up on lines and branches.

Here in Durham, the NC Department of Transportation, responsible for sanding roadways, reports, "The roads around Department headquarters are a solid sheet of ice."

We're unconcerned--for some reason, we have a nice supply of wood, oil, candles, batteries, Sterno--and solar panels. . . Got lots of food too.

-- Old Git (anon@spamproblems.com), January 23, 2000

Answers

Old Git,

Howdy neighbor...thanks for the post. We are in Ft. Bragg/Fayetteville NC and our parking lot out here is ready for Nancy Kerrigan...ice ice ice.

-- Dee (T1Colt556@aol.com), January 23, 2000.

Dee, you may already have this radar loop, but if not:

http://www.intellicast.com/LocalWeather/World/UnitedStates/Southeast/N orthCarolina/Raleigh/RadarLoop/

(Remember to cut and paste each line of the URL and put the second line immediately after the first in your location box.)

Lilly's favorite weather site is here:

http://www.wunderground.com/cgi-bin/findweather/getForecast?query=2770 5

-- Old Git (anon@spamproblems.com), January 23, 2000.

Thank you Git...much appreciated. =)

-- Dee (T1Colt556@aol.com), January 23, 2000.

ICE storm is very bad here in North Georgia!!!! We have power in our immediate area but power is out all over the place. Power lines are down mostly because trees have fallen on the power lines and made them fall. Most churches have canceled services today.

I sat out on the porch for about 20-25 minutes this morning and heard over 30 large limbs or trees falling in the woods around me. During the 20-25 minutes there were only 8 cars that went down the road normally it is almost constant cars. Several of the roads have been offically closed but in many cases trees have fallen and blocked roads.

Heard on local TV---- Gilmer county has declared a state of emergency is opening shelter and asked the governor for 12 crew of tree cutters to help come cut the trees that are falling all over the place. The reporter said that as soon as they get one tree cleared out of the way then another two more will fall in the way.

----Ch. 2 is reporting that some pine trees are breaking and plowing through the roof of mobile homes. Some trees are through the roof of stick built homes too.

If a hardwood tree falls on the roof it is VERY heavy with ice and goes through. If you have pines then you don't let them grow within falling distance of your home as they fall every time. Many of these mobile home parks are rental pads so the owners of the mobile homes do not have the option to cut the trees back. Several very large hard woods have fallen in streets also but they do not seem to fall as easily as the pines.

---David Chanley (weatherman ch. 2) said that if this had of been snow then it would be 15 inches of snow!!! So glad it was not snow as we do not have very many plows in Georgia so we would have been in serious trouble for sure. Many people are stranded in their homes with no power and can not leave as subdivision roads are bocked or driveways are iced over and they can not drive.

There was a elect. power crew member hurt up in the Mtns. as some one had a house size generator on and the power back surged as the home owner forgot to cut the switch that cuts the house from the main power line. Can be deadly to not cut the house from main power line.

Chickens are dying in large chicken houses. One man lost over 20,0000 birds. My little flock of chickens here seem to be ok. Jubilee our goat is cold and we gave her extra bedding hoping that will help.

On a personal note; I am very concerned about my oldest daughter and future SIL as they went to Winder for a baby shower last night. I can not reach her at home or on her cell phone. I pray they stayed over and did not try to come home.

A very dangerous day in the hills of North Georgia!!

I am still looking for that warm place for us to move to.

obo

-- Obo (susanwater@excite.com), January 23, 2000.

WSB-tv (ABC affiliate, oldest station on air in GA) reported this morning that the 20,000 chickens died because the owner did not have a generator and they lost power. What a terrible thing, financially ruinous and sadly, perhaps it could have been prevented if the owner had thought to keep a generator.Reporter in the field said already starting to smell the ammonia fumes from the dead chickens. This same area had high losses to chicken houses in tornado in March '98.

-- Mellowdog (mellowdogusa@hotmail.com), January 23, 2000.