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November 2008                                                                                                   Volume 15 - Number 2

Research Reports on Global Warming...

A Personal Perspective: Maine Ice Storm 1998

By: Alfred Birtz

The Ice Storm of 1998 that covered much of the Northeast as well as the Quebec Province of Canada is a memory that many Mainers would very much like to forget. The storm, called by many, the most destructive natural disaster ever to befall the State of Maine turned into a three week long series of events that only proved to re-enforce the concept that the residents of the northernmost state in the continental United States knew how to take care of themselves

The evening of January 5, 1998 was much like any other, cold and wet. Although temperatures had been unseasonably warm for the previous few days, rising as high as 25 to 30 degrees Fahrenheit, no one was prepared for what happened over the following three days. As a light freezing rain began to fall, many looked outside and cursed the thought of commuting to work the following morning on slick, ice covered roads. But, when people began to wake up the morning of January 6, 1998, they soon realized that this was a storm unlike any other. A perfect mix of warmer atmospheric temperatures and the cold rains, accompanied by below freezing temperatures at the ground level provided a condition that caused all rain that fell to freeze immediately upon contact, coating everything in site with inches of ice. As ice continued to accumulate on roads, trees, and power lines, Maine residents began to comprehend the enormity of said storm. Power lines were snapped, tree branches fell, blocking roadways, and electrical power was disrupted for more than 700,000 of Maine’s 1.2 million residents

Road crew member of Central Maine Power, Maine’s largest electrical power conglomerate, worked tirelessly to restore power, yet any headway made was soon diminished. Power lines restored were once again disrupted as tree limbs continued to fall, cutting off power supplies and negating previous work. Utility crews from around the country were sent to Maine in order to help with the restoration process as all sixteen of Maine’s Counties were declared as Federal Disaster Areas by President Clinton.

As restoration efforts continued, snow began to fall. This only hampered efforts as the now overloaded tree branches were now being weighted down by not only a thick layer of ice but also a heavy, dense snowfall. As days turned into weeks, schools remained closed, businesses empty, and power off to many Maine residents. Yet through it all, only six deaths were reported with five of them being attributed to carbon monoxide poisoning due to the placement of electrical generators inside of residential dwellings.

As a Maine resident, I was without power for more than two weeks. After three days of below freezing temperatures, I went to stay with friends who lived close by that had a generator and were able to provide a safe place. Although the American Red Cross set up shelters throughout the state, only a few thousand residents chose to use these as most stayed with friends and relatives, showing resourcefulness amongst themselves rather than relying on public services.

On day 18, January 24, 1998, I returned to my house to find that power had been restored. As harrowing of an ordeal as this was, it was a time in which the very best was brought out by my fellow residents. Friends took care of friends, and neighbors looked after each other in a manner in which all should look to emulate. As the dreariness of a Maine winter once again ascends, one can only hope that a repeat of ten years ago does not happen again, but Maine residents can rely on the fact that they will be prepared to handle even the worst that Mother Nature might send their way