2007 — Dec 9-10, Ice Storm, especially Kansas and Tulsa, OK –35-36
Kansas ( 6)
–6 AP. “Nation crawls out…beneath snow and ice.” Post-Standard, Syracuse, 12-18-2007, A4.
Oklahoma (29-30)
— 30 McManus, Gary. “The Mouse that Roared.” Oklahoma Climate, Winter 2007-2008, p. 3.
— 29 Greene, “A Year on…Brink,” Tulsa World, 12-7-2008.
— 29 OK DEM. “Situation Update 27; Ice Storm Recovery Efforts Continue.” 12-21-2007.
—>27 AP. “Nation crawls out…beneath snow…ice.” Post-Standard, Syracuse, 12-18-2007, A4.[1]
–>27 Oklahoman, Oklahoma City. “Oklahoma ice storms, 2000-2007.” 1-25-2009.
Kansas
AP, Dec 18: “In Kansas, where six deaths were blamed on last week’s storm, about 24,000 customers remained without power, and some of those in rural areas might not see electricity restored for a week or more.” (Associated Press (Sean Murphy). “Nation crawls out from beneath snow and ice.” Post-Standard, Syracuse, NY, 12-18-2007, A4.)
Oklahoma
Greene: “On Dec. 10, 2007, an ice storm unlike any before struck Tulsa…. days of darkness: no heat, no light, not many options. At any moment it seemed, any one of a dozen disasters could strike — the neighbor’s tree could come crashing through the roof, the pipes could burst, we could all die of carbon monoxide poisoning — and there wasn’t a thing we could do about it. In the middle of a modern city, there was the hopeless feeling of being cut off from the world we thought we knew….The storm caused some $780 million in damage and resulted in 29 deaths, according to the Oklahoma Corporation Commission.” (Greene, “A Year on…Brink,” Tulsa World, 7 Dec 2008.)
NWS WFO Tulsa: “Freezing rain moved into Northeast Oklahoma late Saturday night [Dec 8] and early Sunday morning and lasted through Monday [Dec 10]. Surface high pressure centered over the Northern Plains drove sub-freezing temperatures southward into Oklahoma, as a strong upper level system dug into the southwester U.S. This allowed warm and moist air to override the shallow sub-freezing air near the surface and produced an environment that allowed continued development of freezing rain in the area for over 36 hours. Thunderstorms produced locally heavy rains and widespread amounts from 1 to 2 inches of rainfall were common. Much of this rain fell in temperatures below 32 degrees and froze in trees, powerlines and exposed surfaces. Ground temperatures were in the lower 40s during most of the event and kept surface roads from becoming too icy. Bridges and overpasses did freeze up and caused some travel problems mainly Sunday night and Monday.
“The largest impact was power outage with over 200,000 homes without power for several days during and after the event. Severe tree damage will also take days to clean up and years to recover from.
“Temperatures rose above freezing late Monday [Dec 10], but the damage was done with possibly the costliest Ice Storm in Oklahoma history.” (National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office, Tulsa, OK. Dec 9-10, 2007 Ice Storm Summary (website). 11-4-2013 mod.)
OK DEM: “The number of ice storm-related fatalities remains 29, according to officials with the Oklahoma State Medical Examiner’s Office.
16 died in motor vehicle accidents
9 died in house fires
2 died of carbon monoxide poisoning
2 died of hypothermia.”
(OK DEM. “Situation Update 27; Ice Storm Recovery Efforts Continue.” Dec 21, 2007.)
OK DEM: “On Saturday December 8, an Arctic airmass moved into Oklahoma from Kansas. As the cold air settled in across Oklahoma, temperatures dropped below freezing. A storm system moved across Kansas/Nebraska early Sunday morning and produced widespread freezing rain in Oklahoma, especially along the I-44 Corridor. This area received at least 1.5 inches of ice accumulations with some areas up to 3 inches from Oklahoma City to Tulsa. Many adjacent areas received 1/2 inches of ice with 1/4 inches farther south and north from the highest impact areas. At one point over 600,000 customers were without power.” (Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management. Winter Weather Event, December 9-10, 2007.)
Oklahoman: “December 8-11, 2007: A devastating ice storm affected a large swath of Oklahoma beginning on the 9th and continuing through the 11th over parts of the area. The storm left behind a trail of severe damage to trees and power lines, which in turn led to the worst power outage in Oklahoma history (in terms of the number of people impacted). This was because the worst of the ice storm affected the urban corridor from near Lawton, to Oklahoma City, to Tulsa, and northeast into Missouri. By the time the storm had ended, over one inch of ice had accumulated over a good portion of Oklahoma. At least 27 deaths were reported statewide, mainly due to hundreds of automobile accidents, although some were due to prolonged cold air exposure or carbon monoxide poisoning. At the peak of the event, more than 641,000 electric customers were without power, amounting to over one million people. Even with a huge relief effort, more than 150,000 residents were still without power one week later. The local economy took a huge hit as the ice storm hit during a key weekend for holiday sales. The pecan crop loss alone was estimated at $25 million statewide. Shelters were opened across the state for people who did not have electricity, which many took advantage of. The storm cleanup was estimated to cost at least $200 million statewide. Cities were expected to remove over 750,000 cubic yards of debris.” (Oklahoman, Oklahoma City. “Oklahoma ice storms, 2000-2007.” 1-25-2009.)
Dec 10, AP: “Oklahoma City – The first winter storm of the season that’s dropped freezing drizzle across Oklahoma today is now blamed for 14 deaths and the biggest power outage in state history.
“Authorities say 13 people have died in auto accidents on slick roadways and the state medical examiner’s office says a 46-year-old transient died overnight in Oklahoma City from hypothermia.
“Nearly half million homes and businesses are without power with more than 215,000 customers with Oklahoma Gas & Electric. Another 200,000 customers of Public Service Company of Oklahoma are still without power this afternoon and thousands more customers of smaller utilities are without power as heavy ice snapped power poles and sent tree limbs crashing into transmission lines….” (AP. “Icy storm blamed for 14 deaths, massive power outages.” News Channel 4, KFOR, 12-10-2007.)
Sources
Associated Press. “Icy storm blamed for 14 deaths, massive power outages.” News Channel 4, KFOR, 12-10-2007. Accessed 1-14-2009 at: http://www.kfor.com/global/story.asp?s=7477283&ClientType=Printable
Associated Press (Sean Murphy). “Nation crawls out from beneath snow and ice.” Post-Standard, Syracuse, NY, 12-18-2007, A4. Accessed at: http://newspaperarchive.com/fullpagepdfviewer?img=119525641&sterm
Greene, Wayne. “A Year on the Brink.” Tulsa World, December 7, 2008. Accessed at: http://www.tulsaworld.com/site/printerfriendlystory.aspx?articleid=20081207_261_G1_Autili469511
IBT (Jess McHugh). “Winter Storm Jonas Update: New Jersey, New York Shovel Snow as Washington, Baltimore Contend With Ice, Flooding.” 1-24-2016. Accessed 1-24-2016 at: http://www.ibtimes.com/winter-storm-jonas-update-new-jersey-new-york-shovel-snow-washington-baltimore-2277816
McManus, Gary. “The Mouse that Roared.” Oklahoma Climate, Winter 2007-2008, pp. 3-7. Accessed at: http://climate.ok.gov/summaries/seasonal/Oklahoma_Climate_Winter_2007-08.pdf
National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office, Tulsa, OK. Dec 9-10, 2007 Ice Storm Summary (website). 11-4-2013 modification. Accessed at: http://www.srh.noaa.gov/tsa/?n=weather-event_dec10icestorm
Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management. “Situation Update 27; Ice Storm Recovery Efforts Continue.” 12-21-2007. Accessed at: http://www.ok.gov/OEM/Emergencies_&_Disasters/2007/Winter_Weather_Event_20071209_-_Master/Winter_Weather_Event_20071209_-_37.html
Oklahoman, Oklahoma City. “Oklahoma ice storms, 2000-2007.” 1-25-2009. Accessed 3-27-2014 at: http://newsok.com/oklahoma-ice-storms-2000-2007/article/3340695
[1] Notes one less death from fire and one less from hypothermia than noted in OK DEM Situation Update 27.