Icy U.S. Midwest storm blamed for seven deaths
d....@hotmail.com
From:
http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/story.html?id=f0fe2acf-e900-4157-93a6-59d07b86f625&k=89114
Icy U.S. Midwest storm blamed for seven deaths
Marcus Kabel, Associated Press
Published: Sunday, January 14, 2007
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- A crippling winter storm lashed the central part of
the nation with another blast of freezing rain, sleet and snow
Saturday, causing widespread power outages and tying up highways and
airports.
The storm was expected to continue through the weekend, laying down a
coat of ice and snow from Texas to Illinois, where an ice storm warning
was in effect through Monday morning.
"We're in the middle of this storm," said Joe Pedigo, meteorologist for
the National Weather Service in St. Louis. "Friday was the first of
three waves."
Farther west, frigid arctic air reached as far south as southern and
central California, where plunging temperatures prompted worry about
the homeless and crops.
The storm in the Midwest had been blamed for at least seven deaths, and
brought Amtrak service in Missouri to a halt on Saturday. Trees and
other debris knocked down by the weight of ice blocked tracks at
several locations between St. Louis and Kansas City.
About 90,000 homes and businesses had no electricity Saturday in
Missouri, mostly in the St. Louis area, while 6,000 customers were in
the dark in Illinois.
"We have hundreds of crews. We kept them working all night long," said
Susan Gallagher, a spokeswoman for the utility Ameren. "Like everyone,
we don't know what the extent of damage will be with the arrival of
more ice."
Between 60,000 and 70,000 customers were without power in Springfield,
Mo., Saturday, plus an unknown number of homes and businesses in
surrounding towns, said Jenny Fillmer Edwards, spokeswoman for the
Springfield-Greene County Office of Emergency Management.
Roads in southwest Missouri began freezing after sunset. Two shelters
in Springfield filled Saturday and emergency officials planned to open
one more. There were also three shelters for people with special needs
and medical conditions.
Missouri Gov. Matt Blunt and Texas Gov. Rick Perry activated their
National Guard members on Saturday. Blunt, who also declared a state of
emergency, said the worst wave may come Sunday.
In San Marcos, Texas, a tornado damaged at least 13 homes, several
businesses and the police headquarters. Fallen power lines blocked a
section of Interstate 35 until crews could remove them, said Melissa
Millecam, communications manager for the city, 30 miles south of
Austin.
"It's a good bit of damage," she said. "It's still stormy and we've got
power outages in different places."
More than 6 inches of rain fell in places across central Texas, causing
local flooding. Water also blocked three highways in southeastern
Oklahoma, the Department of Transportation reported.
About 300 flights were canceled Saturday at Dallas-Fort Worth
International Airport, spokesman David Magana said. Cancellations also
were reported in St. Louis, Kansas City, Oklahoma City and Tulsa.
In Oklahoma, about 92,450 customers were without power early Saturday,
the Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management said.
More rain, freezing rain and snow was expected from northwest Oklahoma
all the way to Wisconsin on Sunday, Pedigo said.
In Nevada, temperatures plunged as much as minus 28 in the northern
part of the state, filling homeless shelters to capacity and prompting
ranchers to use axes to break ice in troughs so cattle could drink,
authorities said.
In California's San Joaquin Valley, where much of the state's nearly $1
billion citrus crop is grown, temperatures dropped into the teens
overnight Friday. Growers burned fires, sprayed warm irrigation water
and ran giant fans to keep cold air away from their oranges, lemons and
tangerines.
A.J. Yates, California's agriculture undersecretary, said the citrus
industry could be substantially damaged if the temperature stays below
25 degrees for six hours or longer. Citrus growers said it was too soon
to evaluate the damage.
"Overall I don't think it was a catastrophe last night," grower Ron
Turner, 52, of Exeter, said Saturday. "But how this thing plays out in
the next few days is going to be the key."
God
<d....@hotmail.com> wrote ...
> In the midst of 'global warming', cold winter misery as always.
Less and less of it as winter continues to decrease in severity and length
all over the world.
Death due to excessive heat however is becoming more and more prevalent.
Consider the 30,000 Europeans who died from the heat wave of 4 years ago....