KALONA
Unfortunately for many area residents on Saturday, Dec. 14 predictions by the National Weather Service largely proved true. The ice storm, which began overnight, produced ice-covered roads …
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KALONA
Unfortunately for many area residents on Saturday, Dec. 14 predictions by the National Weather Service largely proved true. The ice storm, which began overnight, produced ice-covered roads and vehicles in the morning, which gave way to downed tree limbs and power outages by early afternoon. Rain continued to fall throughout the day, making clean-up efforts a cold and wet affair.
The sound of cracking branches around 1-3 p.m. was bracing, and branches littering yards became the rule rather than exception. In Wellman, limbs crashed through residential windows, fell on park pavilions, and broke off around the golf course. In Kalona, branches thudded on roofs and landed between homes.
Across Washington County, power outages resulted; a peak count of 3,756 customers (33%) lost power for anywhere between two to twelve hours as energy company crews scrambled to repair downed lines. Johnson County fared a bit better, with a peak outage count of 2,586 customers (3%).
Steady temperatures in the 30’s made an evening without power more bearable, as folks unwrapped their hand warmers, snuggled under blankets, and cooked dinner on outdoor grills.
Sunday morning arrived blanketed in fog, and life returned to normal for most. Many holiday events scheduled for the weekend were cancelled or postponed.