Ice storm of December 2005
Encyclopedia
The Ice storm of December 2005 was a damaging winter storm
that produced extensive ice
damage in a large portion of the Southern United States
on December 14–16, 2005 while extensive snows were reported across portions of the Canadian provinces of Ontario
and Quebec
. It led to enormous and widespread power outages and at least 7 deaths.
on 14 December 2005, which began moving northward. At the same time, cold arctic air from northern Canada
penetrated deep into the central United States
and lowered the temperatures at the surface while warm air from the Gulf Stream
remained at the coast. A second Alberta clipper
farther north also added additional energy to the system.
The precipitation remained as rain in the coastal areas, including the large cities from Boston to Washington, D.C.
. However, freezing rain was extensive in the inland areas, including around Atlanta
, where the temperatures remained just below freezing for extended periods. The freezing rain persisted for many hours, leading to extensive ice damage.
Trees and power lines, along with numerous other lightweight structures, came down in many areas from Georgia northward, and highway
s (including several Interstate Highways) were closed and impassable. The heaviest ice accretions were in southwestern North Carolina
, where ice over 3/4 inch (20 mm) thick was reported and Charlottesville, Virginia
with 1 inch (25,4 mm). At the higher elevations, and farther north across the Great Lakes
region and into northern New England
, the storm produced heavy snow with amounts varying between 7 inches to as high as 26 inches (57 cm).
In Canada, 41 centimetres of snow fell in Montreal
in about 12 hours, with snowfall rates as high as 30 centimetres in 4 hours, and 11 centimetres in a one hour period during the morning rush hour on December 16. This is the second worst storm on record, after a storm
on March 4, 1971 dumped 47 centimetres and the worst fall snowstorm to hit the area since records were kept. In Ottawa
, between 20 and 35 centimetres fell in a short period of time causing several OC Transpo
buses to become stuck on the city's transitway
and several of their articulated buses to become jackknifed
at a busy intersection in the suburb of Gatineau, Quebec.
In addition, at least seven deaths were blamed on the weather, one of them directly related to weather conditions. One of the deaths was as a result of a tree that fell into a home and crashed into a man in Kannapolis, North Carolina
, one as a result of a faulty generator
in a house without power, and the other five as a result of traffic accidents. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20051216/ap_on_re_us/ice_storm http://www.myrtlebeachonline.com/mld/myrtlebeachonline/news/local/13432268.htm
, 358,000 in South Carolina
, 328,000 in North Carolina and 13,000 in Virginia
. It took over a week to restore power. Several emergency shelters also were opened. Electricity was not restored in many places until 20 December 2005, by which time one death was blamed on the outage.
Winter storm
A winter storm is an event in which the dominant varieties of precipitation are formed that only occur at low temperatures, such as snow or sleet, or a rainstorm where ground temperatures are low enough to allow ice to form...
that produced extensive ice
Freezing rain
Freezing rain is the name given to rain that falls when surface temperatures are below freezing. The raindrops become supercooled while passing through a sub-freezing layer of air, many hundred feet , just above the surface, and then freeze upon impact with any object they encounter. The resulting...
damage in a large portion of the Southern United States
Southern United States
The Southern United States—commonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, or simply the South—constitutes a large distinctive area in the southeastern and south-central United States...
on December 14–16, 2005 while extensive snows were reported across portions of the Canadian provinces of Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
and Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
. It led to enormous and widespread power outages and at least 7 deaths.
Background
The storm was triggered by a deep low pressure system formed over the Gulf of MexicoGulf of Mexico
The Gulf of Mexico is a partially landlocked ocean basin largely surrounded by the North American continent and the island of Cuba. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States, on the southwest and south by Mexico, and on the southeast by Cuba. In...
on 14 December 2005, which began moving northward. At the same time, cold arctic air from northern Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
penetrated deep into the central United States
Central United States
The Central United States is sometimes conceived as between the Eastern United States and Western United States as part of a three-region model, roughly coincident with the Midwestern United States plus the western and central portions of the Southern United States; the term is also sometimes used...
and lowered the temperatures at the surface while warm air from the Gulf Stream
Gulf Stream
The Gulf Stream, together with its northern extension towards Europe, the North Atlantic Drift, is a powerful, warm, and swift Atlantic ocean current that originates at the tip of Florida, and follows the eastern coastlines of the United States and Newfoundland before crossing the Atlantic Ocean...
remained at the coast. A second Alberta clipper
Alberta clipper
An Alberta clipper is a fast moving low pressure area which generally affects the central provinces of Canada and parts of the Upper Midwest and Great Lakes regions of the United States. Most clippers occur between December and February, but can also occur occasionally in the month of November...
farther north also added additional energy to the system.
The precipitation remained as rain in the coastal areas, including the large cities from Boston to Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
. However, freezing rain was extensive in the inland areas, including around Atlanta
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
, where the temperatures remained just below freezing for extended periods. The freezing rain persisted for many hours, leading to extensive ice damage.
Impact
| State | Total | County | County total |
Direct deaths |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Georgia Georgia (U.S. state) Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788... |
1 | Gwinnett Gwinnett County, Georgia , Gwinnett County had a population of 805,321. The racial and ethnic composition of the population was 53.3% white , 23.6% black , 2.7% Korean, 2.6% Asian Indian, 2.0% Vietnamese, 3.3% other Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 8.8% some other race and 3.1% from two or more races... |
1 | 0 |
| Maryland Maryland Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east... |
2 | Unknown | 2 | 0 |
| North Carolina North Carolina North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte... |
4 | Cabarrus Cabarrus County, North Carolina -Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 131,063 people, 49,519 households, and 36,545 families residing in the county. The population density was 360 people per square mile . There were 52,848 housing units at an average density of 145 per square mile... |
1 | 1 |
| Granville Granville County, North Carolina -Demographics:As of the census of 2010, there were 59,916 people in 20,628 households residing in the county. The population density was 111.6 people per square mile . There were 22,827 housing units at an average density of 42.5 per square mile... |
1 | 0 | ||
| Rockingham Rockingham County, North Carolina Rockingham County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of 2010, the population was 93,643. Its county seat is Wentworth.- History :The county was formed in 1785 from Guilford County... |
1 | 0 | ||
| Wilkes Wilkes County, North Carolina Wilkes County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. The 2000 U.S. Census listed the county's population at 65,632; the 2010 U.S. Census listed the population at 69,340... |
1 | 0 | ||
| Totals | 7 | 1 | ||
Trees and power lines, along with numerous other lightweight structures, came down in many areas from Georgia northward, and highway
Highway
A highway is any public road. In American English, the term is common and almost always designates major roads. In British English, the term designates any road open to the public. Any interconnected set of highways can be variously referred to as a "highway system", a "highway network", or a...
s (including several Interstate Highways) were closed and impassable. The heaviest ice accretions were in southwestern North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
, where ice over 3/4 inch (20 mm) thick was reported and Charlottesville, Virginia
Charlottesville, Virginia
Charlottesville is an independent city geographically surrounded by but separate from Albemarle County in the Commonwealth of Virginia, United States, and named after Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, the queen consort of King George III of the United Kingdom.The official population estimate for...
with 1 inch (25,4 mm). At the higher elevations, and farther north across the Great Lakes
Great Lakes
The Great Lakes are a collection of freshwater lakes located in northeastern North America, on the Canada – United States border. Consisting of Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario, they form the largest group of freshwater lakes on Earth by total surface, coming in second by volume...
region and into northern New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
, the storm produced heavy snow with amounts varying between 7 inches to as high as 26 inches (57 cm).
In Canada, 41 centimetres of snow fell in Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
in about 12 hours, with snowfall rates as high as 30 centimetres in 4 hours, and 11 centimetres in a one hour period during the morning rush hour on December 16. This is the second worst storm on record, after a storm
Eastern Canadian Blizzard of March 1971
The Eastern Canadian Blizzard of March 1971 was a severe winter storm that struck portions of eastern Canada from March 3 to March 5, 1971. The storm was also nicknamed the "Storm of the Century" in Quebec. The event was the worst 24-hour snowfall event on record in the city of Montreal with of...
on March 4, 1971 dumped 47 centimetres and the worst fall snowstorm to hit the area since records were kept. In Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
, between 20 and 35 centimetres fell in a short period of time causing several OC Transpo
OC Transpo
OC Transpo is the urban transit service of the City of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. An integrated hub-and-spoke system of services is available consisting of: regular buses travelling on fixed routes in mixed traffic, typical of most urban transit systems; a bus rapid transit system — a high...
buses to become stuck on the city's transitway
Ottawa Rapid Transit
In Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, the public transit service operated by OC Transpo has two rapid transit systems: the Transitway, a bus rapid transit network, and the O-Train, a diesel-powered light rail transit service operated on one line.-Major routes:...
and several of their articulated buses to become jackknifed
Jackknifing
Jackknifing means the folding of an articulated vehicle such that it resembles the acute angle of a folding pocket knife. If a vehicle towing a trailer skids, the trailer can push it from behind until it spins round and faces backwards. This may be caused by equipment failure, improper braking, or...
at a busy intersection in the suburb of Gatineau, Quebec.
In addition, at least seven deaths were blamed on the weather, one of them directly related to weather conditions. One of the deaths was as a result of a tree that fell into a home and crashed into a man in Kannapolis, North Carolina
Kannapolis, North Carolina
Kannapolis is a city in Cabarrus and Rowan counties in the U.S. state of North Carolina, northwest of Concord and northeast of Charlotte. The population was 42,625 at the 2010 census, which makes Kannapolis the 20th largest city in North Carolina...
, one as a result of a faulty generator
Electrical generator
In electricity generation, an electric generator is a device that converts mechanical energy to electrical energy. A generator forces electric charge to flow through an external electrical circuit. It is analogous to a water pump, which causes water to flow...
in a house without power, and the other five as a result of traffic accidents. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20051216/ap_on_re_us/ice_storm http://www.myrtlebeachonline.com/mld/myrtlebeachonline/news/local/13432268.htm
Power outage
The ice storm left more than 700,000 people without power in and near the Appalachians, including 630,000 customers in GeorgiaGeorgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
, 358,000 in South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
, 328,000 in North Carolina and 13,000 in Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
. It took over a week to restore power. Several emergency shelters also were opened. Electricity was not restored in many places until 20 December 2005, by which time one death was blamed on the outage.