Winter Storm — Posey, Indiana

2009-01-26 to 2009-01-28 · Posey, Indiana

Wider weather episode

A major winter storm dumped 6 to 10 inches of sleet and snow north and west of Evansville, including Pike County. In addition to the sleet and snow, up to one-half inch of ice coated objects. This resulted in very difficult driving conditions. Numerous vehicles slid off roadways. Schools were out for several days. Isolated power outages affected a small number of people north and west of Evansville. From Evansville south and east, a major ice storm occurred. About one inch of ice accumulated. This resulted in widespread tree damage and numerous power outages. In the city of Evansville itself, several inches of sleet and snow were combined with nearly an inch of ice. The weight of the ice and snow caused a house roof to collapse in Evansville. Fallen trees and limbs blocked many streets in Evansville and cities to the east. Several ambulances became stranded in snow and ice. Evansville hospitals reported a marked increase in patients, including sprains and fractures from falling on ice. An exact count was not available. The Evansville Fire Department made 275 runs on the second night of the storm, compared to a normal of 10 runs per night. Emergencies included five structure fires and several people trapped by falling branches. Across the Evansville region, there was an increase in structure fires caused by alternate heating or lighting devices. Four-wheel drive vehicles were used to help transport essential personnel to their jobs. Red Cross shelters were opened across southwest Indiana. One shelter in the Evansville area housed 150 individuals at one point. The largest utility company serving southwest Indiana reported more than half their customers were without power the day after the storm. This was believed to be one of the largest outages in the utility's history, comparable to the remnants of Hurricane Ike in September of 2008. Power was restored to most residents four to seven days after the storm. The largest number of outages were from the city of Evansville eastward. Hundreds of utility workers were brought in from other states, including some even before the storm hit. Evansville stores quickly sold out of generators and chain saws. Hotels filled to capacity quickly during the ice storm. The National Guard was activated to help transport people from their homes to shelters.

An area of low pressure formed along the Gulf Coast, then tracked slowly east-northeast. High pressure remained anchored west of the Great Lakes, keeping a cold northeast wind flow in place in the lowest levels of the atmosphere. Copious amounts of moisture moved up from the southwest and overrode the cold air in the low levels. This moisture interacted with a couple of disturbances in the upper levels of the atmosphere moving from west to east across the region.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 148781. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.