The 2002 Central Plains ice storm was a major winter storm that affected the American Midwest, causing significant damage across the region, especially in the Kansas City Metropolitan Area.
The initial storm
Up until the point of the storm the weather in Kansas City had been remarkably pleasant; The city appeared to be experiencing a mild winter, and 2Â days before the storm the temperature was over 60Â degrees Fahrenheit.
According to Weather Central;
Aftermath
The storm left up to 2Â inches of ice over the affected regions on the evening of January 30. Affected infrastructure initially held, but began to crumble as the night wore on. Electric transformers were prone to explosion and in some cases created small fires, and trees shattered under the weight of hundreds of pounds of ice. Larger trees were actually more susceptible to cracking and falling than smaller trees, with pin oak trees falling while twigs remained undamaged. After the 31st, more than 650,000 residents were without power, including 350,000 in the Kansas City metropolitan area alone and 250,000 in Oklahoma. In some cases, power didn't return to residents for nearly 14Â days. Approximately 500,000 trees were affected in Kansas City alone, including two "Bicentennial Trees" which were estimated at being over 200 years old. States of emergency were announced by the governors of all three states. Then on the tail end of the storm, some places got snow on top of the ice that had fallen, only worsening the problem.
See also
- North Carolina ice storm of 2002
References
- dead link] Kansas City Star coverage of the ice storm
- dead link] Additional KC Star coverage.
- dead link] Articles from CEE News, a magazine that served electrical contractors and engineers
- dead link] A personal account of the storm
- Another personal account
- dead link] Weather Central coverage of the storm
- dead link] Norman, OK NOAA branch article
- Article regarding Bicentennial Trees
