We have not seen an ice storm this bad since we lived in Oklahoma. Our huge, old trees are dropping large branches like crazy. So far they have all missed the house and vehicles - hope we remain this fortunate. Our poor orchard trees are breaking. We still have electricity but haven't heard how many people may be without it. The winds are blowing at a pretty good speed too!

-- Terry - NW Ohio (aunt_tm@hotmail.com), January 31, 2002

Answers

I am just a bit south of you and we have a chance of 60deg today.

-- Gary in Ohio (gws@columbus.rr.com), January 31, 2002.

That is too bad Terry. Here in Belmont County it is sunny and warm. I think we are supposed to get some rain but no ice.

-- Melissa in SE Ohio (me@home.net), January 31, 2002.

Terry, You're really getting aren't you! We are 50 miles south of Toledo, and have had almost all rain (it's just pouring). I've heard on the radio that schools in Wood Co. are dismissing early, so we're about 1/2 county into the safe zone. What a difference just a few miles can make.

-- vicki in NW OH (thga76@aol.com), January 31, 2002.

Well, be glad you aren't in Oklahoma today, Terry, because you wouldn't be any better off!!

We still have our electricity, but just heard that there are 233,000 people without today, and 1,500 people out working to fix 60 miles of downed transmission (the big poles, not the neighborhood poles) lines for OG&E alone!!

What part of Oklahoma did you live in? It seems the western half has gotten the worst of this storm, they are calling it the worst ice storm in 100 years! The winds are picking up today, and the advice of the day is: stay inside, and out from under the trees!

-- Christine in OK (cljford@mmcable.com), January 31, 2002.

That is the worst thing, when all of those great old trees are damaged, and the fruit trees too. We had a bad storm here a few years back and it is devastating.

-- Melissa in SE Ohio (me@home.net), January 31, 2002.

yup lots of ice here trees breaking. Elect. comes and goes. altho we really need some rain. Bob se,ks.

-- Bobco (bobco@kans.com), January 31, 2002.

First we had 8-10 inches snow with high winds, now we're getting freezing rain, supposta go back to snow later. Roads are awful, have not lost our electric yet . . . just staying inside. Wish everyone well.

-- Betsy K in Michigan (betsyk@pathewaynet.com), January 31, 2002.

Ice storm for two days now we are getting snow---we have electricity-- -but several thousand don't have all around us----praise God/ for the wood stove /oil lamps & a hand pump on our own well!!!!

-- Sonda in Ks. (sgbruce@birch.net), January 31, 2002.

WE've been very lucky here in north central Wisconsin. The roads are slippery, but passable. We only got about an inch or so of snow and it's mild. I hope everyone stays warm.

-- Ardie/WI (ardie54965@hotmail.com), January 31, 2002.

Christine,

We lived at the border of Muskogee and Cherokee Counties. Our address was Fort Gibson and we were half way between Muskogee and Tahlequah.

Still more branches coming down here and one of our fruit trees just broke completely off the trunk. There are ice daggers falling from the weeping willow tree - makes for a lot of running and ducking while headed for the barn.

Forgot to mention that we had about two inches of snow last night before the ice bagan this morning. It's beautiful but causing so much damage. We still have electricity but it lights keep flickering and it is hard to stay connected to the internet.

-- Terry - NW Ohio (aunt_tm@hotmail.com), January 31, 2002.

My yard looks like a disaster area. The ice was beautiful but has broken the tops and big limbs out of most of our trees. I went out and took pictures to show my mom in Georgia. Our power has been off since just before midnight last night. We have a large generator to keep the power to the barns and the pigs warm. Even so, I am so happy to have water in any form. Maytake a week to get it all cleaned up. Only one power line down.

-- Tana Mc (mcfarm@totelcsi.net), January 31, 2002.

Terry, Lance's Grandpa and his wife live in Park Hill, just 1/4 mile from the lake and only a few miles from Tahlequah. He builds furniture, has built some wonderful things for our house. That is such beautiful country, we don't get down to visit often enough, but sure enjoy it when we do!

Looks as though the worst is over here, tomorrow is supposed to start a warm-up to at least above freezing. We put an ad in the newspaper today for tree trimming and removal; Lance will be busy all next week! He just happens to be off Sat. and Mon. - Thurs. next week, so I know what he'll be doing!

-- Christine in OK (cljford@mmcable.com), January 31, 2002.

Oh what a difference a couple of hundred miles can make.

Here in Vinton county, OH. it was 71 degrees on the front pourch this afternoon, and just a little windy. Guess we can expect to get nailed soon.

-- Ed Copp (OH) (edcopp@yahoo.com), January 31, 2002.

Here in Lake County we had rain all day long, lots of it. It's been about 40 degrees so thankfully we won't have any ice.

-- kathy swietlik (kathy0801@msn.com), January 31, 2002.

My Uncle and his family live in Bartleville, OK and I cannot reach them, so I assume they are iced over with no electric and phone. We had a three day thing here in AL last winter..lots if ice and zero electricity. Praise God for wood stoves, wood and those lovely kerosene lamps..I will not gloat over our temperature here today..suffice it to say that the party's over and our forecast is for thunderstorms tonight, rain tomorrow and dropping of temperatures a good 45 degrees in the next 48 hours. Ice storm is predicted for here next Tuesday..hope you are all OK and hope our forecast is wrong. How sad to see all those wonderful trees go down. It would make me cry!

-- lesley (martchas@bellsouth.net), February 01, 2002.

We got electricity back on at 8PM last eve. You don't really appreciate water and electricity as much when they are working. Makes one thankful to get them back on.

-- charlie (charliesap@pldi.net), February 01, 2002.

The ice storm just kept getting worse yesterday. Last night the wind became stronger and started slinging the ice off the trees. This morning I was beginning to think we would have a lot of damage to our house and cars because it sounded as if someone was throwing huge rocks at our house. Once it got light out, I checked and am very grateful to have found no damage.

Our electriciy went off at 2:07 a.m. and was restored by 12:45 p.m. I am so glad we have a propane heater that does not need electricity. We bought it two years ago. It's one of those that looks like a woodstove with the logs inside. Our dining room is in the middle of our house and that is where we placed it. Now we heat our whole two story home with it alone. It's also very efficient, using less propane than our four year old furnace did.

Leslie, I have been trying to reach my Mom, in Oklahoma, since our power came back on at 2:00. I keep getting that recording that all circuits are busy.

-- Terry - NW Ohio (aunt_tm@hotmail.com), February 01, 2002.