Ice Storm — Linn, Iowa

2007-12-11 · Linn, Iowa

Event narrative

A direct death occurred in Cedar Rapids when an ice-laden branch fell 50 feet and struck a 65 year old male's head. The branch was 4 inches in diameter and 20 feet long. The victim was shoveling snow and ice off his driveway when the branch above him fell. The victim was struck on December 11, and died 3 days later. A trained spotter reported 4 to 6 inch branches down in Cedar Rapids with ice accumulations of 1/4 to 1/2 inch.

Wider weather episode

A large area of freezing rain fell across the region on December 10-11, 2007. This precipitation occurred on the cold side of a stationary frontal boundary that extended from the southern Plains to the lower Ohio Valley. Ice accumulations were in the 1/4 to 1 inch range, with snow and sleet mixed with the freezing rain in some areas. The ice knocked down some trees and branches, with scattered power outages reported. Temperatures gradually rose above freezing the morning of December 11 from I-80 southward, melting the ice. One fatality occurred in Cedar Rapids when a falling ice-laden branch struck a man's head. In addition, most counties were declared a state or federal disaster area.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 67266. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.