Fayetteville's Ice Storm of 2009

Winters are far less severe down here than back in Chicago. However, winter can throw some mean punches, even in these southern climes. We biked today and saw firsthand some of the damage from the devastating ice storm of January 26 and 27, 2009, while we were down in Florida enjoying the warmth.

Streets in this area of town are still lined with piles of downed tree limbs and branches, awaiting pick-up by the city. It is a rare tree that isn't horribly misshapen from missing branches, as most upper limbs are missing -- broken off by the weight of the ice or cut off by chainsaws. On the far west side of town, the city has set up a dump site, operating 9 hours a day, 7 days a week. Trucks pick up the debris, or residents can drop off debris, and it is mulched at this site. Piles of brush 10 feet tall and taller dwarf the pickup trucks in this photo dropping off cut-off branches, and these piles must extend for well over an acre...



... while this red crane with a claw grabs a load of debris and drops it into the large chipper machine, and then the yellow dozer piles the mulch in other huge piles on the right side of the photo. Quite an undertaking, and it has been going on for over a month!


Here's a video of the storm -- beautiful scenery and at the same time dangerous -- and with devastating results to roads, power lines, and trees. I think I'd rather live in Chicago and tolerate the snow storms rather than be susceptible to annual ice storms.