Western Kansas Ice Storm

[severy kid]

Don't these pictures remind you of the storm we had in this area a few years ago, and they could be what we will have in the next couple days.  I sure hope the weather forecaster are wrong about the freezing rain we are to receive. Follow this link to several pages of pictures.
http://www.extremeinstability.com/06-12-31.htm

[Mom70x7]

WOW - awesome pictures.

[Wilma]

Three years ago, we had an ice storm in Sedgwick County.  I sat alone in my house and listened to the branches snapping and wondering if one of them was going to hit the house.  It was quite a night.  The next morning the neighbor to the north called to see if I were all right and if I needed anything and the neighbor that owned the property to the east walked down my long driveway to see if I was all right.  Then they moved a tree out of my driveway so my daughter would be able to drive down to the house.  There are good people in Sedgwick County.

[indygal]

I remember that storm very well, Wilma. Terrell was in Washington State because his dad was in the hospital, so I was at home in Wichita alone. We were on the phone the night all the tree limbs started cracking and falling. I laid in bed that night listening and thinking it sounded like Wichita was in the middle of a war zone, and like you, prayed that no trees would crash through the rooftop. The next morning there were limbs everywhere, but fortunately none on our house or garage. Terrell was home about a week or so later and couldn't believe the huge piles of limbs everywhere and how the standing trees looked like something had lopped off all their tops.

I was very blessed, my electricity was restored within 24 hours. In 1991 in central Indiana (where I lived at the time) I wasn't so lucky. We had an ice storm that took out our power lines and we "camped" without electricity for two weeks. It's amazing how resourceful you can be when necessary.

[MarineMom]

In 1991 in central Indiana (where I lived at the time) I wasn't so lucky. We had an ice storm that took out our power lines and we "camped" without electricity for two weeks. It's amazing how resourceful you can be when necessary.

That storm in 1991 hit in Pennsylvainia as well. We also were without power for 2 weeks. School was cancelled and my kids thought it was great until they figured out the TV would not work either LOL. You are right though we got very resourceful cooking on a kerosene stove and had a great time playing board games it was a good family time (I was still glad when the power finally came back on though)

[Wilma]

I am preparing.  I am going to use as much electricity as I can before it goes off.  Think that will help?  Actually, the only heat I will have if the power is off is the water heater.  Everything else depends on electricity.  There is always the fireplace, but it hasn't been fired up since 2002 and I can't get out to get the wood or anything else I would need for it.   I'm not worried though.  Janet and Jim will take care of me.

[indygal]

OK, I feel like a dolt. The ice storm in Wichita was two years ago, not three. Guess it just feels that long ago (I've got a good excuse. A LOT has happened since then, so it does feel like a lot of time has passed.)

Wilma, it's actually pretty smart to use as much as electricity as you can. It's what I did today: laundry (washer and electric dryer), cooking (electric stove), etc. Once the power's off, it might be quite a while before you can have clean bath towels or a home-cooked meal (even if you have to eat it cold, it's still tasty!)

During the Indiana ice storm/power outage, I had a load of wet towels and jeans in the washer and no way to dry them. So I took the drapes down from the dining room window (south-facing) and draped the clothes over the rod to dry. Worked like a charm. We also cooked on a Coleman stove on our back porch, listened to a battery-powered radio and worked a lot of jigsaw puzzles. The weirdest part was when all the national news trucks came through town to report on the storm and we couldn't watch ourselves on TV that night.

I  hope everyone in Howard is warm and toasty in their homes and that the power stays on throughout the entire storm.

[Wilma]

You are right.  It was just 2 years ago that Sedgwick County was hit hard with ice.  My excuse, too, is that so much has happened since then that it seems much longer.

I did all my laundry, some cooking and ran the vacuum.  The broom doesn't require electricity.  And my dishwasher is running now.

[indygal]

So how is everyone hanging in there? Did you get much ice or snow? Did you lose power? The Wichita weather reports showed lots of nasty stuff moving across that part of the state, but no one went into any detail of how serious it was. Janet, have you been driving the highways to work? How are they?

Our part of Wichita missed out on a lot of the mess. We did get quite a bit of sleet, but no rain and very little snow. The roads are slick but not terribly so. Another blessing: our neighborhood didn't lose power except for about an hour last Thursday afternoon, before the storm even hit. (My guess is a squirrel met its Maker on a transformer.)

Terrell and I have you all in our thoughts and prayers and hope all are doing well there.

[Janet Harrington]

On Thursday at work, I did up all my Friday work, so when I decided to not go to work Friday, everything was done.  I started to go to work Friday, but decided to not go when one of the coffee guys came into Toot's with ice pellets falling off his coat.

I did go to work today, Monday.  The roads on the way to work were driveable, however; I could only go 50 to 55 mph.  On the way home, the highways were dry.  The city streets are very slick, but if we can get a couple more days of sun, (even if the temps don't go very high), I think we will see alot of melting.

Jim and I pretty much stayed in except to go to church and get Mother's mail.  We did grocery shop here in Howard on Saturday morning and got everything we could possibly need.  I'll be glad when this weather is over, but we really haven't had it too bad.  Not like the people in Oklahoma and Missouri.