Brandon Beck of KY3 Weather debunks "Farmer's Almanac" predictions of
ice storm!
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Thursday, January 25, 2007
Update 1-25-06
Sorry I haven't posted more lately.
Last Saturday, while still handling the disaster in the Ozarks, we got the call that my Mother-in-law, who has been suffering from dementia and colon cancer, was 'going down' fast.
We rushed up to Trenton, Missouri Sunday, and she passed away Monday. So, that's where we've been for the last several days.
She was buried yesterday (wed) at the family plot in Humprheys, Missouri.
She had suffered for several years, and is now at peace.
So, hopefully, we can get our lives back to normal shortly, and I'll have more to write soon.
Thanks for your support.
Art
Last Saturday, while still handling the disaster in the Ozarks, we got the call that my Mother-in-law, who has been suffering from dementia and colon cancer, was 'going down' fast.
We rushed up to Trenton, Missouri Sunday, and she passed away Monday. So, that's where we've been for the last several days.
She was buried yesterday (wed) at the family plot in Humprheys, Missouri.
She had suffered for several years, and is now at peace.
So, hopefully, we can get our lives back to normal shortly, and I'll have more to write soon.
Thanks for your support.
Art
Thursday, January 18, 2007
More Ice Storm pics
These pictures are intended to give you an idea of how thick the ice is here.
The picture of the tower shows the climbing bolts on the side. They are about 5-inches long. No climbing today!
(And what fool mounted the equipment box with the screw-downs on the top!!!!!!!)
Ice Storm Pictures
This was taken just northwest of Aurora along the M&NA tracks. The building you see in the distance is the MFA mill in Aurora.
More ice storm news
Monett seems to be really suffering with this storm, especially in the
electrical department.
Here's a story from the Monett Times that talks about it.
electrical department.
Here's a story from the Monett Times that talks about it.
http://www.monett-times.com/NF/omf/monett/news_story.html?rkey=0023508+cr=gdn
Storm Update - Thursday 700pm
OK, so I haven't written since Sunday night.
I bought a generator Monday, and hooked it up at the house so we could continue to live in our home. Empire Electric's crews were able to repair the line going to my neighbor within a day, so she (and we) were back on commercial power by Monday night. It turns out the line that my neighbor is on is a priority line serving a sewer lift station. So, they were in a hurry to get it back up.
We got our regular commercial power back here at my house Wednesday afternoon about 4pm.
But, many, many of our friends are still in the dark, toughing it out in the cold. There are so many stories, I'll try to recount them as time goes by.
More coming.
Sunday, January 14, 2007
Storm update - Sunday 600pm
Well, I had silently hoped that the third wave would miss us.... it didn't.
My phone started ringing at 700am this morning, with friends calling to check on us. I went out to check on the state of things in Aurora. At that point, many of the businesses up and down the main drag still had power and were open.
By noon, I think everyone in Aurora was out on the streets, trying to find gasoline, kerosene, propane, food, and anything else that would help them get through the storm.
About 200pm, it started raining. If this were April, it would have been a nice spring storm. Today, it was catastrophic. What was already a destructive situation became awful. If feel for the dedicated city workers who were running left and right as the trees and lines fell.
About 400pm, the 3-phase line that runs up and down my street fell. I mean, FELL. Down at the corner of Lover's Lane and High street, two lines meet (or least used to ). The pole on the corner bent over and snapped. There was a loud BOOM, and turned to look out the window and see the line falling. My neighbor was driving down the road at the time. She said she saw her life flash before her eyes. SHe's OK, but I think she thought she was going to meet her maker.
That, of course, brought an end of my makeshift electrical setup. No power, no how. Oh well, we've moved over to a friend's house to ride it out.
Haven't seen any National Guard here. Just lots of people trying to help themselves and their neighbors.
Art
My phone started ringing at 700am this morning, with friends calling to check on us. I went out to check on the state of things in Aurora. At that point, many of the businesses up and down the main drag still had power and were open.
By noon, I think everyone in Aurora was out on the streets, trying to find gasoline, kerosene, propane, food, and anything else that would help them get through the storm.
About 200pm, it started raining. If this were April, it would have been a nice spring storm. Today, it was catastrophic. What was already a destructive situation became awful. If feel for the dedicated city workers who were running left and right as the trees and lines fell.
About 400pm, the 3-phase line that runs up and down my street fell. I mean, FELL. Down at the corner of Lover's Lane and High street, two lines meet (or least used to ). The pole on the corner bent over and snapped. There was a loud BOOM, and turned to look out the window and see the line falling. My neighbor was driving down the road at the time. She said she saw her life flash before her eyes. SHe's OK, but I think she thought she was going to meet her maker.
That, of course, brought an end of my makeshift electrical setup. No power, no how. Oh well, we've moved over to a friend's house to ride it out.
Haven't seen any National Guard here. Just lots of people trying to help themselves and their neighbors.
Art
Ice Storm - Not over yet
Sunday Morning 800am update.
It ain't over yet.
617 AM CST SUN JAN 14 2007
...UNPRECEDENTED ICE STORM WILL IMPACT THE MISSOURI OZARKS...
INTENSE FREEZING RAIN AND SLEET WILL SPREAD ACROSS THE OZARKS REGION
TODAY CAUSING ADDITIONAL SIGNIFICANT ICE ACCUMULATIONS ON EXPOSED
SURFACES. CATASTROPHIC TREE AND POWER LINE DAMAGE WILL OCCUR
CAUSING MAJOR POWER OUTAGES THAT WILL LIKELY LAST FOR SEVERAL DAYS.
GROUND TEMPERATURES HAVE FINALLY DROPPED BELOW FREEZING ALONG AND
NORTH OF THE INTERSTATE 44 CORRIDOR. ROADS AND HIGHWAYS WILL BECOME
NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE TO DRIVE ON UPON THE ONSET OF FREEZING RAIN AND
SLEET. TRAVEL IS NOT RECOMMENDED...AND ANYONE PLANNING TRAVEL
THROUGH SOUTHWEST AND CENTRAL MISSOURI TODAY SHOULD ALTER THEIR
PLANS...AND REMAIN OUT OF THE REGION UNTIL THE ICE STORM HAS PASSED.
UNFORTUNATELY CONDITIONS WILL ONLY CONTINUE TO DETERIORATE HEADING
INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK. DESPITE THE CONCLUSION OF WINTER
PRECIPITATION...A SURGE OF ARCTIC AIR WILL CAUSE TEMPERATURES TO
FALL INTO THE SINGLE DIGITS...AND POSSIBLY BELOW ZERO MONDAY AND
TUESDAY NIGHTS. THESE BITTERLY COLD TEMPERATURES WILL ONLY
AGGRAVATE THIS DISASTER AND CAUSE HUMAN SUFFERING AMONGST RESIDENTS
WITHOUT HEAT AND POWER.
THOSE WHO USE IMPROVISED HEATING SOURCES TO ATTEMPT TO WARM THEIR
HOMES ARE URGED TO USE EXTREME CAUTION. DANGERS OF CARBON MONOXIDE
POISONING AND FIRE INCREASE DRAMATICALLY WITH SUCH DEVICES. IN
ADDITION...THE COLD TEMPERATURES EXPECTED FROM MONDAY INTO WEDNESDAY
MAY LEAD TO WATER PIPES BREAKING...ESPECIALLY WITH HOMES AND
BUSINESSES WITHOUT HEAT OR POWER.
LOCAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCIES SHOULD CONTINUE COORDINATING
EFFORTS TO MINIMIZE IMPACTS FROM THIS IMPENDING DISASTER. THIS IS A
VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION. STAY TUNED TO THE LATEST FORECAST AND
ADVISORIES CONCERNING THIS UNPRECEDENTED WINTER STORM.
...UNPRECEDENTED ICE STORM WILL IMPACT THE MISSOURI OZARKS...
INTENSE FREEZING RAIN AND SLEET WILL SPREAD ACROSS THE OZARKS REGION
TODAY CAUSING ADDITIONAL SIGNIFICANT ICE ACCUMULATIONS ON EXPOSED
SURFACES. CATASTROPHIC TREE AND POWER LINE DAMAGE WILL OCCUR
CAUSING MAJOR POWER OUTAGES THAT WILL LIKELY LAST FOR SEVERAL DAYS.
GROUND TEMPERATURES HAVE FINALLY DROPPED BELOW FREEZING ALONG AND
NORTH OF THE INTERSTATE 44 CORRIDOR. ROADS AND HIGHWAYS WILL BECOME
NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE TO DRIVE ON UPON THE ONSET OF FREEZING RAIN AND
SLEET. TRAVEL IS NOT RECOMMENDED...AND ANYONE PLANNING TRAVEL
THROUGH SOUTHWEST AND CENTRAL MISSOURI TODAY SHOULD ALTER THEIR
PLANS...AND REMAIN OUT OF THE REGION UNTIL THE ICE STORM HAS PASSED.
UNFORTUNATELY CONDITIONS WILL ONLY CONTINUE TO DETERIORATE HEADING
INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK. DESPITE THE CONCLUSION OF WINTER
PRECIPITATION...A SURGE OF ARCTIC AIR WILL CAUSE TEMPERATURES TO
FALL INTO THE SINGLE DIGITS...AND POSSIBLY BELOW ZERO MONDAY AND
TUESDAY NIGHTS. THESE BITTERLY COLD TEMPERATURES WILL ONLY
AGGRAVATE THIS DISASTER AND CAUSE HUMAN SUFFERING AMONGST RESIDENTS
WITHOUT HEAT AND POWER.
THOSE WHO USE IMPROVISED HEATING SOURCES TO ATTEMPT TO WARM THEIR
HOMES ARE URGED TO USE EXTREME CAUTION. DANGERS OF CARBON MONOXIDE
POISONING AND FIRE INCREASE DRAMATICALLY WITH SUCH DEVICES. IN
ADDITION...THE COLD TEMPERATURES EXPECTED FROM MONDAY INTO WEDNESDAY
MAY LEAD TO WATER PIPES BREAKING...ESPECIALLY WITH HOMES AND
BUSINESSES WITHOUT HEAT OR POWER.
LOCAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCIES SHOULD CONTINUE COORDINATING
EFFORTS TO MINIMIZE IMPACTS FROM THIS IMPENDING DISASTER. THIS IS A
VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION. STAY TUNED TO THE LATEST FORECAST AND
ADVISORIES CONCERNING THIS UNPRECEDENTED WINTER STORM.
Saturday, January 13, 2007
Random thoughts
Just a couple of random thoughts in the middle of everything else...
1. What has happened to www.missouriradio.net? They can't be accessed. Been down for several days.
2. Why aren't the Springfield TV stations doing a better job of covering this storm? If this were Kansas City, all normal programming would have been suspended, and they'd be doing wall-to-wall coverage all day and all night.
From Aurora, I can see both the Joplin and SPringfield stations. At least the Joplin stations are running crawls with local information and weather updates.
KY3 is doing an hourly update at the top of the hour, but that's about it. I don't see KOLR10 doing anything at all.
Guess I spent too many years in radio, where this kind of weather is an opportunity to grow the brand.
Special Weather statement from NWS
This was just released from the National Weather Service.
824 PM CST SAT JAN 13 2007
...EXTREMELY COLD TEMPERATURES TO COMPOUND AN ALREADY DANGEROUS
SITUATION OVER MUCH OF THE MISSOURI OZARKS MONDAY THROUGH
WEDNESDAY...
THE THIRD AND FINAL ROUND OF FREEZING RAIN WILL MOVE THROUGH THE
AREA SUNDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING. SEE CURRENT WINTER STORM WARNING
ISSUED BY THE SPRINGFIELD NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FOR FURTHER
DETAILS.
MUCH COLDER AIR WILL SPREAD INTO THE REGION AS WE HEAD INTO
EARLY NEXT WEEK. TEMPERATURES WILL FALL INTO THE SINGLE DIGITS...AND
POSSIBLY BELOW ZERO MONDAY AND TUESDAY NIGHTS. NORTHWEST WINDS OF 10
TO 15 MPH WILL ACCOMPANY THIS VERY COLD AIR AND WILL CREATE WIND
CHILL TEMPERATURES BELOW MINUS 10 DEGREES ACROSS SOUTHEAST KANSAS
AND MOST OF CENTRAL MISSOURI. WITH MANY RESIDENTS ALREADY SUFFERING
WIDESPREAD LOSS OF HEAT AND POWER...THESE VERY COLD TEMPERATURES
WILL ONLY AGGRAVATE THIS DISASTER AND HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO CAUSE
WIDESPREAD COLD RELATED INJURIES OR FATALITIES.
THOSE WHO USE IMPROVISED HEATING SOURCES TO ATTEMPT TO WARM THEIR
HOMES ARE URGED TO USE EXTREME CAUTION. DANGERS OF CARBON MONOXIDE
POISONING AND FIRE INCREASE DRAMATICALLY WITH SUCH DEVICES. IN
ADDITION...THE COLD TEMPERATURES EXPECTED FROM MONDAY INTO WEDNESDAY
MAY LEAD TO WATER PIPES BREAKING...ESPECIALLY WITH HOMES AND
BUSINESSES WITHOUT HEAT OR POWER.
LOCAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCIES SHOULD CONTINUE COORDINATING
EFFORTS TO MINIMIZE IMPACTS FROM THIS IMPENDING DISASTER. THIS IS A
VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION. STAY TUNED TO THE LATEST FORECAST AND
ADVISORIES CONCERNING THIS MAJOR WINTER STORM.
...EXTREMELY COLD TEMPERATURES TO COMPOUND AN ALREADY DANGEROUS
SITUATION OVER MUCH OF THE MISSOURI OZARKS MONDAY THROUGH
WEDNESDAY...
THE THIRD AND FINAL ROUND OF FREEZING RAIN WILL MOVE THROUGH THE
AREA SUNDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING. SEE CURRENT WINTER STORM WARNING
ISSUED BY THE SPRINGFIELD NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FOR FURTHER
DETAILS.
MUCH COLDER AIR WILL SPREAD INTO THE REGION AS WE HEAD INTO
EARLY NEXT WEEK. TEMPERATURES WILL FALL INTO THE SINGLE DIGITS...AND
POSSIBLY BELOW ZERO MONDAY AND TUESDAY NIGHTS. NORTHWEST WINDS OF 10
TO 15 MPH WILL ACCOMPANY THIS VERY COLD AIR AND WILL CREATE WIND
CHILL TEMPERATURES BELOW MINUS 10 DEGREES ACROSS SOUTHEAST KANSAS
AND MOST OF CENTRAL MISSOURI. WITH MANY RESIDENTS ALREADY SUFFERING
WIDESPREAD LOSS OF HEAT AND POWER...THESE VERY COLD TEMPERATURES
WILL ONLY AGGRAVATE THIS DISASTER AND HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO CAUSE
WIDESPREAD COLD RELATED INJURIES OR FATALITIES.
THOSE WHO USE IMPROVISED HEATING SOURCES TO ATTEMPT TO WARM THEIR
HOMES ARE URGED TO USE EXTREME CAUTION. DANGERS OF CARBON MONOXIDE
POISONING AND FIRE INCREASE DRAMATICALLY WITH SUCH DEVICES. IN
ADDITION...THE COLD TEMPERATURES EXPECTED FROM MONDAY INTO WEDNESDAY
MAY LEAD TO WATER PIPES BREAKING...ESPECIALLY WITH HOMES AND
BUSINESSES WITHOUT HEAT OR POWER.
LOCAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCIES SHOULD CONTINUE COORDINATING
EFFORTS TO MINIMIZE IMPACTS FROM THIS IMPENDING DISASTER. THIS IS A
VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION. STAY TUNED TO THE LATEST FORECAST AND
ADVISORIES CONCERNING THIS MAJOR WINTER STORM.
Ice Storm Update - 8pm Saturday
The heaviest of the rain has moved to east of us now, but there's still a lot of activity going on.
As I listen to the scanner, transformers are still blowing up all around Aurora. Trees are still falling, and the city street department guys are working very hard just to keep the streets open.
The ambulances have been working calls, too. Several calls from people without power who are dependent on oxygen and mechnical equipment to sustain them. Several of them have gone to the hospital.
The Aurora police and fire building has been without power all day. They've been running their generator. The design of the electrical system at the new police & fire building is very impressive, and they've been able to continue working without letup.
I'm sure the crews from Empire District electric are doing the same, but I haven't seen them out here in my part of town. I"m sure they're doing their best just trying to keep the main distribution system up, let alone try and work through the myriad of neighborhoods where lines are down.
I can hear generators running in the distance.
Oddly, I don't hear any trains. Aurora is a train town, and you always hear trains running through the city. I wonder if trees are blocking the RR tracks as well? Don't know. Wouldn't be surprised.
Thankfully, my makeshift electrical setup is working. I have lights, heat, my refrigerator is running, and my computer is online.
Can't beat that.
I feel a little guilty, since many of my neighbors are in the dark.
But, it ain't over....by a long shot.
Art
As I listen to the scanner, transformers are still blowing up all around Aurora. Trees are still falling, and the city street department guys are working very hard just to keep the streets open.
The ambulances have been working calls, too. Several calls from people without power who are dependent on oxygen and mechnical equipment to sustain them. Several of them have gone to the hospital.
The Aurora police and fire building has been without power all day. They've been running their generator. The design of the electrical system at the new police & fire building is very impressive, and they've been able to continue working without letup.
I'm sure the crews from Empire District electric are doing the same, but I haven't seen them out here in my part of town. I"m sure they're doing their best just trying to keep the main distribution system up, let alone try and work through the myriad of neighborhoods where lines are down.
I can hear generators running in the distance.
Oddly, I don't hear any trains. Aurora is a train town, and you always hear trains running through the city. I wonder if trees are blocking the RR tracks as well? Don't know. Wouldn't be surprised.
Thankfully, my makeshift electrical setup is working. I have lights, heat, my refrigerator is running, and my computer is online.
Can't beat that.
I feel a little guilty, since many of my neighbors are in the dark.
But, it ain't over....by a long shot.
Art
Ice Storm - Catastrophic
Saturday Noon
We have a catastrophic situation going here in the Ozarks. I'd guess over 100,000 people are currently without power. Springfield media reports 60-70 thousand people in Springfield are in the dark.
Out here in Aurora, much of the town looks like a war zone. The utility crews are working at a feverish pitch to try to stay ahead of the freezing rain, which is still falling at this time.
I've been talking to my friends in Aurora, Mt. Vernon, Marionville and Monett, and everybody's telling the same story. A few fortunates have power, most do not. Amazing how a little electricity can make the difference between modern living and being in the stone age.
I fear it's going to be days and days before most of us get our power back. My power went out a 11pm last night. But, my next door neighbor is on a different line, which doesn't go down very much. So, I've got a 100-foot extension cord running over to her house, so I can operate my furance and refrigerator, some lights and my computer.
Mo-Net internet continues to have difficulties all around. WIth so much power out, our system that distributes internet service to the various locations is also out. We're really lucky at Aurora to have our equipment at the new police & fire station, which has massive power backups.
More later,
Art Morris
1245pm
Friday, January 12, 2007
Ice Storm Update 1000pm
Aurora being hit hard now.
Fire calls. Ambulance runs.
Power out in Mt. Vernon, Freistatt and Marionville.
Someparts of Aurora are dark.
Very nasty.
Latest from the National Weather Service..
Fire calls. Ambulance runs.
Power out in Mt. Vernon, Freistatt and Marionville.
Someparts of Aurora are dark.
Very nasty.
Latest from the National Weather Service..
... Ice Storm Warning remains in effect until midnight CST Sunday
night...
An Ice Storm Warning remains in effect until midnight CST Sunday
night.
At 8 PM... freezing rain... mixed at times with sleet... was falling
along and northwest of a line from Anderson... to Nixa... to Fort
Leonard Wood. Numerous reports of one quarter to one half inch
have been reported. The heaviest accumulations so far have been
over Newton... Barry and Lawrence counties... where radar estimates
nearly an inch of freezing rain has fallen.
Many roads had become ice covered... and numerous fallen trees and
power outages have been reported over southwest Missouri. Travel
conditions will continue to deteriorate across the warned area
through the evening.
From Pittsburg Kansas to Joplin to Warsaw... much of the
precipitation has fallen in the form of sleet this
evening... limiting ice accumulations on power lines and trees.
However... slick roadways have been reported in these areas.
Additional ice accumulations of one half to one inch will be
possible by Saturday morning. Additional ice accumulations will occur
through Sunday. Total ice accumulations of one to two inches are
expected... with locally higher accumulations up to three inches
possible.
Ice Storm - Update 820pm
Mt. Vernon is really taking it hard. I'm hearing reports of trees down, power lines down.
I heard about 745 that Freistatt was without power.
Rain continues. One Lawrence county deputy reported that he had slid around in his patrol car.
Reports are not many people are on the road. Many apparently have taken the advice of the media and law enforcement to stay home.
Art
I heard about 745 that Freistatt was without power.
Rain continues. One Lawrence county deputy reported that he had slid around in his patrol car.
Reports are not many people are on the road. Many apparently have taken the advice of the media and law enforcement to stay home.
Art
Ice Storm - Update 5pm Friday
This ain't lookin' good folks.
If this ice storm comes together like it looks currently, this could be an extremely dangerous situation. The only saving grace for us in Aurora is, we've already had a serious ice storm. The one that struck us a month ago laid down a lot more ice here than it did in Springfield.
We had a lot of tree damage here in Aurora that other communities didn't have. That could actually work to our benefit in Aurora. There's less to fall.
But, if we get 2 inches ice, we're going to be in the dark.
FM Radio and TV stations will go down, due to ice on their antennas and lack of power.
Power is going to be a big problem.
Wow.
Stay tuned.
Art Morris
If this ice storm comes together like it looks currently, this could be an extremely dangerous situation. The only saving grace for us in Aurora is, we've already had a serious ice storm. The one that struck us a month ago laid down a lot more ice here than it did in Springfield.
We had a lot of tree damage here in Aurora that other communities didn't have. That could actually work to our benefit in Aurora. There's less to fall.
But, if we get 2 inches ice, we're going to be in the dark.
FM Radio and TV stations will go down, due to ice on their antennas and lack of power.
Power is going to be a big problem.
Wow.
Stay tuned.
Art Morris
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