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Ice! From my front porch.

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alfredo Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Jan-28-09 11:03 AM
Original message
Ice! From my front porch.
This is Lexington Ky. I was able to get my neighbors out to move their cars out from under those very brittle Pear trees. One person wasn't home. A heavy wet snow is now falling, making matters worse.

Post your ice storm images
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ChairmanAgnostic Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Jan-28-09 11:05 AM
Response to Original message
1. why not just plant stronger trees?
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Lex Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Jan-28-09 11:10 AM
Response to Reply #1
3. I don't know if those are Bradford Pear Trees, but Bradfords can't withstand
any amount of ice or even strongish winds. Over they topple under the least bit of stress.
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hedgehog Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Jan-28-09 08:26 PM
Response to Reply #3
26. The only trees I've seen hold up against ice storms are Norway spruces and our young oaks.
Some trees split, others actually have a saucer root shape rather than a tap root and will tip over right out of the ground. We lost 5 acres of red pine that had been planted in rows and went down like dominoes.
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JerseygirlCT Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Jan-28-09 08:59 PM
Response to Reply #3
28. I don't know... we're up in CT
see our fair share and some of snow and ice, and ours is now 11 years old and growing beautifully. They're awfully pretty trees.
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Lex Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Jan-29-09 12:13 AM
Response to Reply #28
33. Most tree experts agree about the following:

The angle of the Bradford's branches is generally too narrow, and as the tightly-crowded branches grow in girth, the tree begins to push itself apart. At the first strong wind or heavy ice storm, the tree self-destructs.


Link
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alfredo Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Jan-29-09 11:14 AM
Response to Reply #33
37. They are beautiful trees, but impractical for parking lots and street trees.
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csziggy Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Jan-28-09 08:21 PM
Response to Reply #1
24. I don't think any trees can stand up to the amount of ice on those trees
I wasn't paying much attention but this morning one of the weather guys gave statistics of how much a half inch of ice weighs - something like 500 pounds per square ? ( I did not catch the figure. Then he said that the trees behind him already had over twice that and two to three times more than that amount was expected. Trees had already been toppled and limbs broken, knocking out power to large areas.

I'm sorry I don't have better figures.
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Mari333 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Jan-28-09 11:09 AM
Response to Original message
2. incredible pics...i am sick of winter.
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alfredo Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Jan-28-09 12:12 PM
Response to Reply #2
10. Ha!
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misanthrope Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Jan-28-09 08:22 PM
Response to Reply #2
25. Spend a few summers on the Gulf Coast...
...That's our season of misery here. And it lasts for close to six months.
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leftyladyfrommo Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Jan-28-09 11:12 AM
Response to Original message
4. I have spent so many days looking at scenes like that here in Missouri.
Those little pear trees just can't take very much. We have a lot of them around here just because they are so pretty in the spring. But ice just splits them in half.

Hopefully the bigger trees aren't crashing down on your head. That is when it really gets dangerous. We have giant oaks here that come down if it gets bad enough.

I just hate ice storms. And I get panicky whenever I hear one is coming in.
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alfredo Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Jan-28-09 08:15 PM
Response to Reply #4
23. We have cherry and hackberry trees in back of the house. The good thing is
they lean away from the house.
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mod mom Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Jan-28-09 11:12 AM
Response to Original message
5. Yikes! Sorry for your trees.
I just finished shoveling ~ 6 inches of slush in Columbus, OH. Our trees have a beautiful layer of ice and at least in my neighborhood (which received serious wind damage from Hurricane Ike which lead to 6 days w/o power) there appears to be very minor damage.
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Southpaw07 Donating Member (61 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Jan-28-09 11:18 AM
Response to Original message
6. That sucks
Ice sucks. I would take 2 feet over show over an inch of ice any day. Get a storm like that when there are still leaves on the trees and the damage is devastating. Have you lost power?

On a positive note, I guarantee that there are a bunch of morans in ditches trying to figure out why their SUV couldn't stop on the ice in 4WD! I know its wrong but I still laugh.
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On the Road Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Jan-28-09 11:23 AM
Response to Original message
7. The Street I Used to Live on in Unversity Park, MD
was lined with Bradford pears. Same thing happened to the one in front of my house.
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Poiuyt Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Jan-28-09 11:48 AM
Response to Original message
8. I live in Wisconsin and have seen my share of nasty winters, but ice is the absolute worst
We had an ice storm a few weeks ago. Not a heavy covering like you got, but it was as smooth as a speed skating rink. And then the temperature plummeted to below zero, so the salt couldn't work.
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alfredo Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Jan-28-09 12:14 PM
Response to Reply #8
11. Have a friend up in Oshkosh and he is sick of it all. He restores motorcycles
so business is slow.

http://www.brcycles.com/
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Poiuyt Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Jan-28-09 01:50 PM
Response to Reply #11
15. Not too many people in Wisconsin are riding motorcycles right now
BTW, there's an Indian motorcycle place in Oshkosh
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alfredo Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Jan-28-09 01:52 PM
Response to Reply #15
16. I bet he knows the owner. They do a bit of ice racing up there.
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marions ghost Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Jan-28-09 11:59 AM
Response to Original message
9. Been there and sympathize
I hate to see the trees all bent over and snapped like that. And you get cabin fever not being able to go out at all. Lucky you're not under any real tall trees. Where we are the 80 ft hardwoods drop giant branches and rip apart down the middle. Tall pines snap off at the base. The attack of the trees...

thanx for pix--now go back inside! :hi:
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madokie Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Jan-28-09 12:15 PM
Response to Original message
12. Last two late winters we seen that around here
Bradford pear trees are not a good choice anywhere it comes ice storms as they break easily. Pretty assed trees but not very strong.
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guitar man Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Jan-28-09 12:48 PM
Response to Original message
13. ouch!
looks like you got hit pretty hard. Here's one I just shot of the top of our transmitter tower, covered in ice.
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alfredo Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Jan-28-09 01:46 PM
Response to Reply #13
14. A local TV station brought in some chunks of ice that fell off their tower.
Today we are being serenaded by the chain saw choir.
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guitar man Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Jan-28-09 01:55 PM
Response to Reply #14
17. yep, I feel for you
after the big one we had here back in Dec. 07, I thought the chainsaws would never stop :(
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alfredo Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Jan-28-09 02:17 PM
Response to Reply #17
19. The chainsaw guys are good guys and I have earphones on to CSPAN.
They aren't near as annoying as the Tinnitus I have.
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Bethesda Home Donating Member (45 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Jan-28-09 01:57 PM
Response to Original message
18. I live in North Georgia...
...and I just shoveled 3 inches of 'partly cloudly' of my driveway.
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rainbow4321 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Jan-28-09 02:30 PM
Response to Original message
20. Our local newspaper just had a scary blog report
The ice storm that happened overnight here in Dallas caused everything to ice over..even the huge lightpoles on the Tollway. As the tempurature started to improve today, those chunks of ice melted..in one piece. So there were/are 3 to 5 FOOT long ice daggers falling onto the highway, some narrowly missing passing cars.
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alfredo Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Jan-28-09 03:34 PM
Response to Reply #20
22. That is scary. Reminds me of Snoopy inside his doghouse. An icicle
is hanging above the entrance. He was sure that if he tried to leave, the icicle would fall on him.
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alfredo Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Jan-28-09 03:21 PM
Response to Original message
21. More images


The McMansions in the distance have no electricity. You should have seen the transformers blow. It was like lightning.

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kywildcat Donating Member (529 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Jan-28-09 08:58 PM
Response to Reply #21
27. I'm an hour north of you-in Burlington KY
we got clobbered, as did Cincinnati. One of my mothers favorite trees fell, narrowly missing her home. Downed power lines and downed trees and large limbs everywhere. I hate to admit it, but it is so pretty.
Stay warm Alfredo. Thank you for the pics!
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alfredo Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Jan-28-09 09:30 PM
Response to Reply #27
30. We seem to get one of these every decade.
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varkam Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Jan-28-09 09:00 PM
Response to Reply #21
29. I was driving around Lex today - it was pretty incredible.
Edited on Wed Jan-28-09 09:01 PM by varkam
Apparently Boyle county caught the worst of it, but it was still pretty bad here in Fayette.
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alfredo Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Jan-28-09 09:32 PM
Response to Reply #29
31. I hope Chevy Chase didn't get hurt bad, but I know it is inevitable.
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varkam Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Jan-28-09 09:45 PM
Response to Reply #31
32. Well they've got trees out the wazoo there - old big ones, too.
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alfredo Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Jan-29-09 12:32 AM
Response to Reply #32
35. I can imagine Fontaine being impassible
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bertman Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Jan-29-09 12:18 AM
Response to Original message
34. I hope you get through this okay, Alfredo. We went through the same thing in '01.
It was bad news.

In some places power was out for ten days.
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alfredo Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Jan-29-09 12:33 AM
Response to Reply #34
36. I'm hoping the coming thaw arrives before more trees give up the ghost.
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QueenOfCalifornia Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Jan-29-09 11:23 AM
Response to Original message
38. So, are your
rightwing neighbors claiming that this is proof that there is no global warming? :eyes:

You guys need to get yourselves some tougher trees -the ones you have seem to have exploded. :)
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madmom Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Jan-29-09 11:45 AM
Response to Original message
39. My daughter is at Hocking College just south of Columbus Ohio. They are on their 2nd day of no power
Just got off the phone with her, they are trying to get the red cross to bring food in for the students. All the hotels in the area are full, so those who weren't quick enough to get one have to tough it out with lots of blankets.She said they're talking like power won't be back till some time tomorrow.Outside temp there right now is 23. I'm worried sick.
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