We're under an Ice storm warning and what happened in 1998 the last time we had a bad one

Good morning Augusta.

We are under an ice storm warning so if you aren't ready, you'd better get busy before it hits.

This morning it is overcast with ice pellets, then snow and rain in the afternoon. Fog early. High of 36F. Winds less than 5 mph. Chance of precipitation 90% .

Tonight it will be overcast with ice pellets. Fog overnight. Low of 21F with a windchill as low as 14F. Winds from the North at 5 to 15 mph. Chance of precipitation 100%.

The readings from my own instruments are:

The humidity is 90% with a Dew Point of 17ºF and a wind chill of 22ºF.

The temperature Is 22ºF.

We have North Northwest Winds between 0.0 MPH and 2.6 MPH.

Our Barometric pressure is 30.26  HPA 1013 and falling with a weather graphic indicating snow/sleet.   

We have a UV rating of 0 out of 16, sunset will be at 4:02 PM with Moon Rise at 8:24 p.m. EST and the moon phase is a Waning Gibbous.

For the pilots out there, Raw Metar readings are:

SPECI KAUG 211231Z AUTO 35007KT 5SM BR OVC004 M06/M07 A2993 RMK AO2 T10561067

Visibility is 5.0 miles/8.5 Kilometers with low overcast to 400 ft / 121 m.

We have had 2.34 inchehs of ice and rain here in the past 24 hours.

You May recall the Ice Storm of 1998 which was  One of New England's Worst Natural Disasters We lived through it, and it was not fun.

The ice storm of 1998 left the Northeastern part of the U.S. and parts of Canada with over one-half billion dollars of damage due to the natural disaster.

In January 1998, a catastrophic ice storm swept through New York, New Hampshire, Maine, Vermont, and parts of Canada. The ice storm of 1998 left over three million people without electricity, some residents suffered more than two weeks before power lines were finally restored. Becoming known as one of the worst natural disasters in these areas, the ice storm of 1998 is one disaster the survivors will not soon forget.

On Wednesday morning January 7, 1998, the NEXRAD Weather Service Forecast Office in Albany, New York, issued a Winter Storm Watch to warn the residents in the area of the likelihhod of icing. By a little after 10:00am, the Winter Storm Watch had been upgraded to a Winter Storm Warning emphasizing the storm's upcoming long term stay over the area and its threat to knock out power lines. Just after midnight on January 8, a Flood Watch was in effect bringing more chaos to the area.

Thousands upon thousands of residents lost power during the ice storm and were forced to leave their homes. Shelters were available and welcomed the residents providing food, heat, and hope. The heavy icing was reported at more than three inches in parts of Jefferson County. Residents had a approximately 8 to 12 hours to prepare for the severe icing from the time the warning was issued. They were advised to have alternate heating sources available.

According to a U.S. Department of Commerce Service Assessment "The Ice Storm and Flood of January 1998", the assessment describes the impact of the ice storm. It says the magnitude and extent of the January 1998 ice storm and flood was unprecedented in New England's history (June 1998, accessed February 2011). Due to the storm, Mount Philo State Park in Vermont remained closed the entire season with almost every tree in the park suffering damage.

Worst Natural Disaster

In December 1997, snow fell across the Northeast in measurable amounts just prior to Christmas. In New York, the ground was not frozen which caused the first step to major flooding in the area when the snow began to melt leaving the ground highly saturated.

When the rain began to fall on January 7, 1998, the soaked ground couldn't hold any more water. The rains that fell had nowhere to go, but to run into rivers, lakes, streams, and any other area that got in its way. Some parts of the Northeastern states still contained some snow. As the rain fell, it caused the snow to begin melting at a rapid rate speeding up the already rising flood waters.

The Black River basin in New York was reported to have the most serious flooding. With the snow, ice, and rain, Watertown, New York, had the highest river flooding ever recorded in that area. When the water crested in Watertown, it had peaked at 16 feet. Higher elevations were much colder during the falling rain causing more icing in the mountain regions.

Disaster Recovery

Once the storm was over, crews were ready to begin disaster recovery only to find a Wind Advisory had been issued causing repairs to be put on hold in some areas. Utility poles, utility lines, tree branches, fallen trees, transformers, and many more hazards awaited the recovery teams. Over 2,000 new poles were needed by the New York State and Gas Corporation to begin repairing damage done by the storm.

According to the Service Assessment, an estimated $20 million worth of damage was caused by the ice storm and flooding in New York and close to $350 million in Vermont and New Hampshire. Nearly 500 National Guards were brought in to help with disaster recovery. They were also needed to help in rescue operations for those residents trapped by flood waters.

The U.S. Department of Commerce Service Assessment reported that in spite of this natural disaster only 8 people died. Three of the people died from hypothermia, one died from a roof cave in, three died from carbon monoxide poisoning, and one died in a clean-up accident.