MarkGeldmeier's Blog

Yesterday the broken tree limbs were picked up by the yard waste collection...and the sound of generators began to fade. I thought this would be a good time to jot down my memories of "Ice Storm 2006". Lots of things have already been posted, but feel free to add your favorite memory!

Wednesday, Nov. 29th...it was 72 degrees (the 7th day in a row with temps above 60), however the end was near! That evening the arctic cold front arrived and temperatures began to plumment. There was a possibility of thunderstorms, but we mostly had steady, moderate rainfall. By Thursday morning, temps were in the mid-30's. I noticed small pieces of ice inside the raindrops by 9:15am....and by Noon, sleet was the predominate precipitation. Moderate to heavy sleet continued thru the late afternoon hours all along the Hwy. 44 corridor. By then temps were down into the mid-20's. We were wondering when the sleet would changeover to snow...but what happened next was interesting and disasterous!

A "second" low pressure system developed and moved up from southwestern Missouri. This "wave" in the atmosphere helped contribute to additional instability...and a warming in the atmosphere ahead of it. Temps climbed almost 5 degrees between 5pm and 9pm, and the sleet changed back to freezing rain -- which fell at a moderate intensity. The ice accumulated rapidly on tree limbs. The power went out at my house around 8:45 pm, accompanied by a bright, green flash. I went outside and listened to the occasional "pop" and "crack" of tree limbs breaking and ice shifting. Not long after, there was an even brighter flash -- followed by the rumble of thunder! With no lights, I went to bed with the blinds open and watched the sky show. Muted green flashes, some distant, some near, reflecting off the clouds and filtered by the rain, sleet and fog.

The next morning, I looked outside and saw a beautiful but eerie landscape. Two inches of icy sleet, decorated by numerous fallen branches and limbs with a fresh covering of 1-2" inches of fresh, soft snow on top. It was our first snow of the season...and what a storm to start the winter! Our power had come back on overnight, but many in the Metro were not so lucky....with over 500,000 customers suffering power outtages. I drove through Kirkwood that morning, intent on breakfast and the extent of the damage magnified. It seemed everyone had branches and limbs down...not as many entire trees -- like during the summer -- but instead more widespread damage. I could also see wires down or damaged....nearly every block. My breakfast in Kirkwood would not happen -- the entire business district was without power.

My mother-in-law was one of those without power, and she came to our house for dinner and to spend the night. The dinner table discussions centered around the power outtages and whether to turn off and drain the water or to leave it running at a trickle. On Saturday, the sun was out and the ice began to melt. It was a beautiful day, cold but with light winds and lots of sunshine. I spent the day outside enjoying the weather...it seemed the worse was over. By evening, the power was back on at my mother-in-law's house...so she packed up and headed home. However as the sun set, I noticed it was much darker in our neighborhood. It turns out that the slight melting shifted the weight in the trees...and many more problems developed.

Sunday morning I finally made it to breakfast at McDonald's in Kirkwood. The talk was all about the power outtage. Bev, one of the employees, said her house was still out...and the customer in front of me said she was also without. There were a lot of people in line...many without power, and there was definitely a feeling of camraderie...as if we were all together in this modern-day "disaster". Back at home, one of my neighbors explained how he was running his furnace from an extension cord provided by the neighbor next door -- how crafty! Our house must be on the corner of an electrical grid or distribution line. We had power, but looking down to the West and across to the North -- it was dark. I felt guilty that our Christmas lights were shining brightly -- the reindeer on the lawn nodding as if to say, "yes, we have electricity to burn!"

On Monday, our house became the "Geldmeier's Internet Cafe". I often work at home and just need a good internet connection to get things accomplished. One of our neighbors also works at home but his power was out. So he packed up his laptop and setup office in our dining room. With electricity, a phone, and wireless internet connection -- he was full-speed ahead! Meanwhile, two other neighbors without power asked if they could check e-mail etc. If only we'd start serving gourment coffee!!

Late afternoon on Tuesday, the "calvary" arrived. A convoy of 8 trucks...tree trimmers, pole diggers, and cage lifters came roaring down the street. Within a few hours, they used a crane to lift a tree off a set of wires, dug a new hole, replaced a broken pole, re-wired the connections and power was restored!

By the weekend, warm temperatures melted the rest of the ice and snow. The tree debris was gathered in piles and this week many municipalities started their collections. What a way to start the winter!