Ice Storm in Washington, Mississippi

A crippling ice storm struck the three state region of Arkansas, Louisiana, and Mississippi at one of the worst times, just before Christmas. Much of the fall and early winter season of late 1998 had been very mild for southerners. But on Tuesday December 22nd, a strong surge of shallow Arctic air drove southward and spelled a quick end to the unseasonable warmth and helped set the stage for one of winter's nasty tricks. A moist southwest flow above the cold air brought several upper level disturbances. This combination of cold air and moisture held together for several days and brought periods of freezing rain and sleet to the three state region, beginning tuesday night and not ending until Christmas morning. Up to 2 inches of ice accumulated on power lines and much of the area experienced long power outages, nearly seven days in some cases. Hardest hit was an area from northeast Louisiana to north central Mississippi where tree and power line damage was moderate to severe. The prior warmth had left most trees with a little more foliage than usual and greater potential for ice accumulation. The extra weight was more than many trees could handle and quite a few large oaks and maples split in half. Christmas travel was severely hampered for several days with motorists stranded at airports, bus stations, and truck stops. Travel did not return to normal until after Christmas in some locations. Total estimated cost of damage in the region covering southeast Arkansas, northeast Louisiana, and central Mississippi is around 23 million dollars, with most of the damage attributable to downed power lines and trees. Many counties were declared federal disaster areas. The inconvenience endured by holiday travellers and their loved ones was unaccountable.