Ice Storm — Polk, North Carolina

1996-02-02 · Polk, North Carolina

Wider weather episode

Rain began to freeze in the southern foothills and most of the piedmont. Bridges and overpasses quickly became icy with numerous problems reported on highways and streets. Rain was falling so heavily that not much was accumulating as ice. However, by about noon, ice storm conditions began to develop quickly with numerous power outages reported. Areas west and north of Charlotte were hardest hit. Damage estimates for this major ice storm are a broad estimate and not reliable. Road repair/cleanup costs in North Carolina exceeded $20 million. Numerous traffic accidents caused many injuries and some indirect fatalities.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 5536405. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.