By February 4, most residents in the cities had their power restored but some of the rural areas were still without power. The Salvation Army was quick to set up and began producing 300-400 meals three times a day but quickly went up to over 1,000 meals breakfast, lunch and supper. At the end of the fourth day the Ky Southern Baptist Food, (requested by Giannini through H & R Ministries Harrel Riley), crews arrived producing an additional several thousand meals out to our county and neighboring counties. This ice storm was deemed the absolute biggest and worst ice storm in Kentuckys modern history via Governor Steve Beshear. It is said the local businesses lost up to 80% of their expected sales during the storm. call-up in Kentucky history, which Beshear called an appropriate To my knowledge, the Twice-A-Week Leader (1902-1940) never missed a publication day, nor did the Caldwell County Times or Princeton Leader. Kentucky has, unfortunately, been on the receiving end of some truly memorable ice storms! Some area residents were trapped in their homes for several days, and a state of emergency was issued for all but the southeast corner of Kentucky. Others succumbed to hypothermia. . The storm will become better organized on Tuesday over the Four Corners region with mountain snow and winds. Unrelenting and terrifying, this beast of a storm coated the entire city with at. It was satisfying to know we were able to keep that streak alive, and that was due not just to technological advancements, but to a loyal group of employees willing to go the extra mile to keep the community informed., David Crenshaw, Emergency Manager of Caldwell County during this time, said, The weather bureau was predicting an ice storm for the area. "The real heroes of this -the initial heroes - are those Bring blankets, pillows and a change of clothes, they said. Below are the dates for upcoming chapter photo contests. You must be a paid member of the chapter to participate in these contests. Belski's Blog. Madisonville, Ky. was 95% without power for a few days. Kenergy ice storm crews repair damaged power poles at the intersection of Brown Road and Kentucky 862 Monday afternoon as they work to restore service . Some of the most notable Kentucky ice storms throughout history are: , If anyone from Kentucky says they dont go through these thoughts and feelings during one of our amazing storms, theyre probably not being honest. But, with no electricity, fuel pumps were not working. Ohio Valley Ice Storm: Jan. 26-28, 2009. For areas in southern Indiana and north-central Kentucky, freezing rain began to occur late in the afternoon on Feb. 15, as temperatures started to drop on what was already a dreary, rainy day. just beyond Blytheville, Ar. In Paducah, Amber Fiers and her neighbor Miranda Brittan tried a The conditions were so treacherous, in fact, that bulldozers were brought in to help clear the roads, though they didn't make much of a difference. people know where shelters were, forced to spread the word the (AP Photo/Ed Reinke), A pair of horses graze through a pasture near Midway, Ky., in search of grass hidden beheath a fresh layer of snow Feb., 2003. During the months listed all members are invited to shoot pictures and submit no more than two entries each to webmaster@westkentuckynrhs.org by the deadline listed next to each contest. Heaviest accumulations fell in a line from Memphis to Nashville, Tenn., and northeastward into Lexington. Some of the most notable Kentucky ice storms throughout history are: If anyone from Kentucky says they dont go through. Jan 30, 2009. Obion Co. Propane Technology allowed both papers that week to be printed on schedule. Jan. 27 when, instead of the earth shaking, a brutal winter storm See story datelined Frankfort, on (AP Photo/Ed Reinke). I cant remember. The same went for the areas corn crop, which reported $5 million in losses, and $16 million was reported in damages for a $20 million fruit industry, nearly crippling it. watching for icicles falling from electrical wires. Monday, February 25, 2019. with a scenario that would be much worse. Generators were a big concern at the time. The loss of power was the greatest challenge for the newspaper to meet its publishing schedule. Hook Line & Singer Railroad at Madisonville, Ky is now a fallen flag! the U.S. Midwest knocked out power to more than 870,000 homes and Many roads were blocked by fallen trees during the 2009 ice storm. keeping the death toll from being much higher. ", Someone During the month, Bowling Green also received its heaviest snowstorm and heaviest 24-hour snowfall ever seen in the city. Heeding the forecast, much of the paper was finished on Monday before the storm hit. Outreach After a few days, persons seeking shelter grew to a few hundred, the shelter was moved to the Butler building, as soon as that power grid was activated. Several had purchased generators The 2009 ice storm was devastating for the entire state on many levels. Ill be removing sod for my garden spot in the next couple of weeks. The storm killed at least 35 people across the Midwest and did millions of dollars in damage. Other frightening aspects of the storm included: Thousands of residents were left without power for days on end it was the largest Kentucky power outage on record, An extra 3-6 inches of snow on top of the ice. every corner of a university theater. Hundreds of linemen were imported, some of which specialize in And she couldnt go back to sleep, so she settled in to watch a movie. 2. this was similar to a worst-case Some choked on carbon monoxide. seriously disrupted power in the (nearly exact) boundaries of the If you had a working fireplace, you were one of the blessed. Accumulations were mostly sleet with some freezing rain amounting to one to two inches in most locations. Copy {copyShortcut} to copy Link copied! toasty shelters because their homes had no water or heat. By late evening the freezing rain had changed to sleet and varied between sleet and light freezing rain throughout most of Feb. 16 as well. Published: Dec. 23, 2004 at 2:06 PM PST | Updated: Dec. 30, 2004 at 9:35 AM PST. If you do, dont forget to tell us your amazing stories of survival (or maybe even just boredom while snowed/iced in) in the comments! the state's largest outage on record. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Some stores in the affected area his Union City shop to fill propane tanks. The worst of the icy air struck on Jan. 9-10, with many locations dipping below zero with highs around 10 degrees and wind gusts to 25 miles per hour. Still, Heltzel says the state needs to upgrade some of its Unrelenting and terrifying, this beast of a storm coated the entire city with at least one inch of ice (two inches in parts of west-central KY). Madrid.". With the cold front came extensive severe weather, and afterward replaced the once high temperatures with an immense area of cold Canadian air. Credit: WHAS11. I love writing, art, sunshine, all animals and my incredibly patient husband, who tolerates my "crazy animal lady" side. We thought we were safe, she said at the time. We meet in the old L&N Depot on West Arch Street in downtown Madisonville, Ky at 7pm unless otherwise noted below. state's worst natural disaster in recent history left a Thousands bide time in shelters after ice storm Jan 30, 2009 . States of emergency were declared for most counties in Kentucky. By Tuesday morning, Caldwell County was covered in ice. frosty neighborhoods. Local and state officials in both Indiana and Kentucky declared states of emergencyand begged folks to stay off the roads if they could. says: Jimmy Eason was among those who decided to tough it out anyway The spring of 2007 was no different; following a warm streak that had temperatures in the 70s and 80s, we woke up on Easter morning to temperatures in the 20s and 30s and a dusting of snow in our yards. from Oklahoma to West Virginia. There was no loss of life during the ice storm. We don't know how soon, how much (or We're looking at more ice than snow in a lot of places, and the reason that is because it's just so cold at the surface, but aloft, you're actually keeping it in a liquid form, he said. Minor mainly river flooding developed in some spots by Wednesday from the steady rain. We met every day at the EOC and there would be a minister come in and say a prayer before the meeting got started. Get hyperlocal forecasts, radar and weather alerts. HEAT.gov has 5 customers. More than 33,000 Louisvillians experienced power outages for two days, where a total of 6 inches of sleet fell before the snow ever hit. If you wanted bread and milk, you had to make it to the stores and pray they received stock. The But we werent.. Although the storm system looked like a typical Noreaster for this time of year, taking a path from the Gulf Coast to the northeast along the Atlantic Coast, it was packed with strength and very slow-moving. Meteorologists warned it could be one of the worst storms in recent memory. The past few years there have been fewer storms in terms of winter weather. Weather Safety Rules Trees were weighted down with ice and snow, during the Ice Storm of 2009. The land borders CSX. Aviation The hardest-hit areas were in Kentucky with over 500,000 residences without power during the height of the . The two were in a line that swelled to 50 or more On the morning of Wednesday, January 28, precipitation changed over to snow from northwest to southeast across the area. Tornado History By 4 p.m. that afternoon, all pages were completed and transmitted (through the Internet) to the printing plant in Hopkinsville. Up to 6 inches of snow accumulated across the northernmost sections of the CWA. The shelves were picked clean of specific survival foods. Perhaps the most crippling aspect of this event was its timing. 4 stories from the worst snow storms in Evansville history | Webb, Indiana bill would put 'In God We Trust' in every classroom | Webb, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. No. Well, it's true that the river owns land along the Mississippi River near here, cut a path In the Louisville area, the power outages topped the . Significant damage was reported throughout the region as tree limbs cracked and fell onto power lines due to the dense ice. did 198 years ago. . Every school on the map closed their doors including USI and UE. (LOUISVILLE, December 23rd, 2004) -- A record-breaking winter storm left thick layers of snow and ice covering much of Kentucky on Thursday, causing a near-standstill as highway crews struggled to clear snow-clogged roads. Up to 6 inches of snow accumulated across the northernmost sections of the CWA. No one was killed, but Madisonville and Earlington were heavily damaged. Trisha Noble, Smiths Grove, Kentucky Deeper into the cold air, a zone of heavy . Hopkins County and much of the rest of state of Kentucky were . Heavy wet snow on the backside of this storm could accumulate up to two feet through Monday across northern Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. One blast after another of frigid arctic air poured into the central and eastern United States in January 1978, making the month one of the top-five coldest months ever recorded in southern Indiana and central Kentucky. Multiple locations were found. KY Mesonet, Latest Forecasts 10 seed Penn St. reaches semis, beats . Area school systems were closed for an entire week. In the meantime, a strong low-pressure system was moving through areas farther south along a cold front, stretching from the Gulf of Mexico and into the northeast. All NOAA, Ice and Snow Storm of January 26-28, 2009. In the Louisville metropolitan area, 205,000 lost power for up to 10 days. The coldest temperatures ever seen in March occurred in Bowling Green (-6), Louisville (-1), Lexington (-2), and Frankfort (-3). site. By the morning of Jan. 28, more than half of the homes and businesses Vectren served were languishing in the dark. Steve Beshear said Heltzel has been "an invaluable "What SEMO Electric built over a period of more than 70 We want to emphasize how serious (this) is, Vectren CEO Carl Chapman said during a media appearance with Evansville Mayor Jonathan Weinzapfel. Appalachia, though temperatures creeping into the 40s helped 36-hour dump of mixed frozen precipitation in a 50-100 mile swath Over the next three days, three people lost their lives in weather-related traffic accidents across the state, and another four were injured. After several small snowstorms during the first half of the month, a huge storm swept in on Jan. 16-17. Jay Brandon, WNKY-TV, Woodburn, Kentucky We will judge the photos and select 1st through 3rd place and the winners at our meetings following the contest and they will be presented in the PennyRail and on the chapter website. While snowfalls in southern Indiana and central Kentucky were only on the order of 2-to-5 inches, west winds gusted to 40 miles per hour. OnlyInYourState may earn compensation through affiliate links in this article. A band of particularly heavy snow set up from Shelbyville through Cynthiana, where nearly two feet fell. The National Guard troops were called in to aid the residents in the area. perhaps for years. stations. . Trees and limbs snapped at the weight of the ice across the state, cluttering the roads, which were still impassible. The Louisville ice storm in 2009 went down in history as one of, if not THE, worst in the state. P.O. Kentucky is known for having four seasons and what some call a mild winter. Minor river flooding developed in some spots by Wednesday from the steady rain. On Tuesday, Jan. 27, the precipitation changed to freezing rain over southern Indiana and northern Kentucky and to rain over southern Kentucky. Across Southwestern Indiana, more than 70,000 lost power. When the water pump station stopped working, that was a critical time. We hope that you continue to enjoy our free content. A strong cold front moved slowly southeast across the lower Ohio Valley and southeast Missouri on February 3-4. Still, it was nothing compared to areas affected farther to the south, where the winter storm began with freezing rain, then changed to sleet and snow over parts of south-central and east-central Kentucky. Madisonville KY 37.34N 87.51W. elderly and disabled neighbors were all right. National Guard on Saturday, with his state reeling from a deadly "It wasn't perfect, but it was much Missouri to West Virginia, but thousands were still bunking in Nationwide Weather Stories Trees and power lines blocked roads, fell on homes and cars, and caused travel hazards in the days following the storm. . Some, especially in Kentucky, lived in the dark and cold for weeks. high, as they described how they were "making it, propped in chairs or curled up on the stage. stores do not have an option on which to use. Clearing your car of Winter's ice missiles. Submission Deadline: October 14, 2022 to allow time for the chapter calendars to be printed in time for the holidays. quake. Gas general manager Ken Walker said more than 200 people came to The addition of 3,000 soldiers and airmen means 4,600 one inch of ice (two inches in parts of west-central KY). Kentuckians in need," the Democrat said. Anyone who requested a ride was picked up in a giant Humvee. Slides/audio on this topic. Huge amounts of wet snow dumped on the Ohio and Tennessee river valleys, including 18 inches in Bowling Green, 9.2 inches in Louisville, 5.7 inches in Lexington, and 7.2 inches in Frankfort. Thank you for reading! Although most of the major interstates were able to remain open (except for Interstate 64 and one lane usage on Interstate 65), many flights to the Louisville International Airport were delayed or canceled. How severe was the Louisville ice storm in 2009? This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Climate Prediction We even have food ready in case our electricity goes off peanut butter, crackers, apples, peanuts. On Across the area, at least 700,000 people lost power. The precipitation continued as well, leaving behind 9 inches of snow and sleet on the ground in Southern Kentucky. businesses darkened by an ice storm that crippled states from 374 talking about this. that's what we were able to do," Heltzel told The Some had no choice. guardsmen have been pressed into service. Please select one of the following: Experimental Graphical Hazardous Weather Outlook, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. MADISONVILLE: 9.8: KY: PRINCETON 1 SE: 9.8: MO: WILLIAMSVILLE: 9.6: . Wilmington, Current Conditions He said donations were very helpful, mentioning Walmart, which donated snacks, drinks, water etc., as well as other donations from numerous businesses and individuals. The best hidden gems and little known destinations - straight to your inbox. In Bowling Green, March of 1960 was the snowiest March on record and was the snowiest month on record. said the continual sound of tree limbs breaking from the ice, So, we did a little bartering, in exchange for part of the load of water, we gave the driver fuel. Water was one of the more critical things we were in need of., Joey McCaslin, assistant fire chief during the ice storm, shared these thoughts. When was the ice storm in Kentucky? There just wasnt enough skilled manpower on the payroll to get things going again, so other states pitched in and sent us some help. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on . Total losses throughout the Kentucky and southern Indiana region were more than $130 million. We had a horrific ice storm in Kentucky during that year, and it will not soon be forgotten. Guardsmen are credited with rescuing an elderly couple suffering Weather Today Weather Hourly 14 Day Forecast Yesterday/Past Weather Climate (Averages) Currently: 45 F. . Spot Request Our entire state was coated in a thick layer of ice. Tree limbs were so weighted down from the ice that many fell, blocking travel. This was a time when neighbors, friends, emergency . days. Over 200,000 of those individuals were in the city of Louisville. Other frightening aspects of the storm included: , Ice storms in KY are not at all unheard of. Exactly one week later, low pressure formed over New Mexico and moved through the lower Mississippi Valley and on into the central Appalachians. Take a look and let us know if you remember any of these epic ice storms in Kentucky! Submission Deadline: August 7, 2022, September 1-30, 2022 Well, in March of 1996, it meant declaring a state of emergency for 22 counties across west-central Kentucky and sending in 185 National Guard troops to assist police, doctors, and road crews in the worst affected areas. Temperatures hit 50 degrees. Kentucky is known for having four seasons and what some call a mild winter. And they were right. Submission Deadline: October 7, 2022. 1. we made a plan last year, used it, and it worked I knew we needed porta-potties, to place around in key places, especially nursing homes, the hospital, around the courthouse. Wendy Warfield made contacts to locate those, as well as looking for generators., We had no phone lines, no local communications, except through radios, we used Ham Radio to contact Frankfort, that was our first line of communications to the outside. We werent sure how, but the old hospital had Internet, a direct line from here to Jennie Stuart, to Nashville, so I sent an email to Beth Mann of WAVJ Trigg County was not hit as hard as Caldwell County and she was able to get a message out about the situation here., The Red Cross set up shelters at the Butler building, other places as well, and we used the old delivery and nursery part of the hospital for people in need of oxygen etc.