Ice Storm — Greene, Missouri

2007-01-12 to 2007-01-14 · Greene, Missouri

Event narrative

The worst natural disaster to ever impact Greene County including the city of Springfield occurred from major ice accumulations associated with this storm. Two inches of freezing rain accumulated on exposed objects causing catastrophic tree and power line damage. Several residents of Springfield and Greene County experienced power outages that lasted over three weeks. Most of the ice accumulations occurred on Friday night January 12th, however, two other episodes of ice accumulations occurred on the 13th and 14th. Damages including debris removal were estimated at 121.69 million.

Wider weather episode

One of the greatest disasters to ever impact southwest Missouri, including the Springfield metro area, occurred in the form of an ice storm. Several counties, mainly along and north of the interstate 44 corridor, experienced ice accumulations up to two and a half inches. Power outages and catastrophic tree damage were the main impacts resulting from this historic event. Power outages occurred for over three weeks in many areas. Several indirect fatalities due to the extreme elements were documented. Carbon monoxide poisoning occurred within a few homes as gas generators were being used in garages, which allowed for dangerous levels of carbon monoxide to seep into houses.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 12801. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.