Ice Storms!
|
|
"QUANTUM SHOT" #298link Nature's Cold Shoulder Freezing rain... sounds innocent enough, until it becomes a layer of ice, enveloping every single thing in a heavy, unwelcome embrace. ![]() (image credit: João Paglione) ![]() (image courtesy: Rick Macomber (c)2007) Ice storms are able to put the life of an entire state on hold, as power distribution is disrupted and often not restored for a couple of weeks. You are left with nothing much to do, other than to admire the cold beauty of ice "kingdom" around you. You turn into a truly "captive audience". A week without any power We all remember the 1998 ice storm in Quebec. Here are some pictures of this devastating event. Over fifty high voltage towers collapsed, one after another. According to wiki "just one quarter of an inch of ice accumulation can add about 500 pounds of weight per line span". ![]() (photo by Michel Laflamme) ![]() (photo by Jacques Paul) ![]() (photo by Serge LeClair) ![]() (photo by Michel Lacroix) Close to 1.4 million people in Quebec and 230,000 in Ontario were without electricity. In some cases, people stayed without power for up to six weeks. It was the most destructive storm in Canadian history. This is a good article about it. Also, for some interesting photographs of a significant ice storm in Spokane, Washington in 1996, see this page. ![]() ![]() Ice-encased sea of grass Mike Hollingshead from Extreme Instability documented the ice storm that happened in December 2006 in Nebraska and parts of Kansas. With photographer's permission we reproduce some of the most impressive pictures of the aftermath of that storm. ![]() ![]() (images credit: Mike Hollingshead) The iconic image of ice-encased blade of grass is well-known. But here is what an ice storm can do with a grass field: turn it into a sea of ice. ![]() ![]() (images credit: Mike Hollingshead) ![]() (image credit: John Deerhake) The picture above was taken outside the small town of LaFayette, Ohio. It was during a nasty ice storm in early 2005 that had left the whole northwest part of the state out of power for over a week. Returning to the storm in Nebraska, here is some barb wire: ![]() and a guiding wire to a pole - ice 2 inches thick! ![]() ![]() (images credit: Mike Hollingshead) ![]() ![]() (original unknown) Want to fill up your car? You may be thwarted in your efforts. Here is the frozen control panel of a fuel pump: ![]() and the pump handle: ![]() (images credit: Brandon Hauff) Strong winds and extreme cold combine to create ice sculptures The following pictures were taken in Hungary, at Lake Balaton by an unknown photographer: ![]() ![]() ![]() The conditions responsible for creating these icicles seem to be similar to the more famous extreme weather occasion on Lake Leman. In fact, these conditions happen throughout the region - the following picture was taken at a lake in central Italy, called Bolsena, in a windy area 100km north of Rome: ![]() (image credit: MaxResolution) Lake Leman has an icy touch Technically, not an ice storm, but a very impressive accumulation of ice due to the high wind (gusting to 110 km/h) on Lake Leman near Geneva, Switzerland. This has happened 2 years ago and the pictures were widely seen on the internet, but they never fail to fascinate. See more photos here. Here is the eye-witness account: "The cold did not save sailing ships moored in the ports of Léman. In Geneva, several boats sank under the weight of the ice. Several minor roads were closed, passage having been made impossible by the ice and the snowdrifts. In downtown Geneva, Servette Street was closed after the rupture of a water pipeline transformed the roadway into a true skating rink." ![]() (image credit: Jean-Pierre Scherrer ) ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() (images credit: skyandsummit) ![]() (image credit: Jean-Pierre Scherrer ) ![]() (images credit: skyandsummit) ![]() (image credit: Jean-Pierre Scherrer ) The Frozen Flood The ice encasing these unfortunate automobiles will melt, but the situation could've been much worse - like during the flood of Badger River in Newfoundland in 2003. All the flood water froze completely and the trapped cars were sitting in two-meters-deep ice for months: ![]() ![]() (images credit: snn-rdr.ca) Buried in snow is no fun, either Granted, it's not as radical as power-killing ice storm, but extreme snowstorms can disrupt the normal life just as significantly: ![]() ![]() After three snowstorms in Halifax, Canada, some cars disappear for good: ![]() (image credit: photofiddler) ![]() (image credit: Ruth & Dave) When "The Flying Dutchman" becomes a frozen one When you are at sea, exposed to storm weather elements, and then come to port - your buddies may not recognize the ship any more: ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() (original unknown) ![]() The following picture may scare you into thinking about some horrendous ice storm, but it actually depicts a house after the fire-fighter's efforts to put out the fire: ![]() Finally, to reconcile you with Mother Nature again, here is a nice picture of a frozen waterfall: ![]() Permanent Link... ![]() Category: Nature,Weird Related Posts: Dust Storms! Dark Roasted Blend's Photography Gear Picks: |
READ LATEST POSTS:
|
Spectacular Steampunk Art Update Part 2 of this eye-popping, mind-boggling series |
|
Biscotti Bits Mixed Links & Images incl. "Post-it Love" |
![]() |
Fall in Love with SF Again! Two of the most entertaining SF novels from the 1980s |
COMMENTS:
|
|
SF ART & BOOK REVIEWS: Don't miss: The Ultimate Guide to SF&F Writers! Fiction Reviews: Alastair Reynolds "Chasm City" Short Fiction Reviews: Lovecraft's "At the Mountains of Madness" (with pics) New Fiction Reviews: The Surreal Office |
MORE RECENT POSTS:
|
Anything for the Perfect Shot! - Part 3 Photographers can be crazy, with a good reason |
|
Charmed by the Unknown Brazil Incredibly colorful festival Boi-Bumba! and more |
|
Ekranoplans Showcase, Part 2 Mind-boggling, unique concepts |
|
Riot Vehicle with Water Cannon (used in Colombia) A detailed look at the newest SWAT truck |
|
Thrilling Vintage Movie Posters Spewed from Intergalactic Space!.. |
|
Cheers to Beers! A selection of world's beers that simply boggle the mind |
|
World's Most Interesting Bridges, Part 3 Awe-inspiring Construction of Mountain Bridges in China, and more |
|
Mesmerizing Kinetic Sculptures Living independent from their creators? |
|
Real Life Spy Gadgets - For the secret agent in all of us Ignorance is bliss... no more |
|
Cable Blues: Tangled & Crazy Wiring Second Law of Thermodynamics Wins |
|
Underground Cities and Bunkers: Living Down Below Deep calls to deep... |
|
Extraordinary Clocks and Watches "Time does not exist. Clocks exist." |
|
The Pasta Monster (and Other Strange Food Art) Don't stare at your food, or it will stare back |
|
How Morgan Cars Are Made: By Hand, Out of Wood Doing what they do best, refusing to change... |
|
Abandoned Boeing 747 Restaurant (& Other Plane Conversions) A plane with unique history, haunted by kitchen smells |
|
Surprised Astronauts (Funny Pics) "My God, it's full of stars!" |
|
One-Track Wonders: Early Monorails Past, Present and Retro-future |
|
Komodo Dragons: They Eat Meat Marauding Dragons on a Desolate Island |
|
Spring Cleaning of the Mind: Surreal Art Update Visual kick included |
|
People Are Strange (Crazy Faces, Part 5) Throw the switch, Igor!.. |
|
Wonder Weapons of World War Two Made in Germany, 1940-1945 |
|
Narrow Buildings in Japan and Around the World Skinny living can be... fascinating |
|
The Cutting Edge of Retro Tech They will be renaming HiFi to HyFy, starting April 1st |
|
Bladerunner Tokyo (in Large-Format Photography) The future began a long time ago in Tokyo... |
|
Nightmare Playgrounds, Part 3 More entertaining than creepy? I'd say both |
|
Victorian Flea Circuses: A Lost Art Form Death-defying acts of flea heroism! |
|
Strangest Music Scores, Part 2 It's a mad, mad, mad music! |
|
Monstrous Aviation, Part 2: Huge Helicopters! "Let's see how insanely huge we can make them!" |
MORE OF THE RECENT POSTS:
|
FULL ARCHIVES (with previews, fast loading): May 2009 -- April 2009 -- March 2009 -- February 2009 -- January 2009 -- December 2008 -- November 2008 -- October 2008 -- September 2008 August 2008 -- July 2008 -- June 2008 May 2008 -- April 2008 -- March 2008 February 2008 -- January 2008 -- Dec, 2007 November 2007 -- October 2007 -- Sept, 2007 August 2007 -- July 2007 -- June 2007 May 2007 -- April 2007 -- March 2007 February 2007 -- January 2007 -- Dec, 2006 November 2006 -- October 2006 -- Link Lattes |
|
CATEGORIES:
airplanes | animals | architecture | art | auto | boats | books | cool ads | funny pics | famous | futurism | food
gadgets | health | history | humour | japan | internet | link latte | military | music | nature | photo | russia | steampunk
sci-fi & fantasy | signs | space | sports | technology | trains | travel | vintage | weird














































































































































16 Comments:
actually, for the Quebec ice storm, some areas of the province went without power for as long as six weeks... yes, SIX WEEKS... 100 000 people were evacuated. 16 000 soldiers were sent in for various tasks. 25 people died. yes... quite a storm. I was lucky, I was out of power for 4 days. And it seemed like weeks.
Incredible collection of ice storm photographs! The one I took in Atlanta was definitely an accident and it was quite exciting to wake up and see everything frozen over night...
"Strong winds and extreme cold combine to create ice sculptures"
These pictures were not taken in Serbia. These were taken in Hungary at Lake Balaton in the winter of 2005/06.
These pictures are beautiful!
I live in Ontario, so ice storms are nothing new for me...but the artistic photos will remind me to not just see freezing rain as a nuisance, but to stop and take a look at the beauty it creates.
Thanks for another great post!
so cool ,very like your post!
thank you!
I well remember the Spokane ice storm. On campus, there is a four story dorm that faces a bunch of tall trees, and the residents were cheering as the branches broke off. Why not? Nobody was walking down there, and it was probably the only entertainment they could get with the power out. I spent the evening in one of the few places with power— the Honors study house. It was quite a party.
The pictures I have from the day after are quite lovely but non-digital. Thank you for posting the link!
Growing up in NY - we have had our fair share of ice storms - and they can be both scary as well as quite beautiful if you can get out and take some pictures.
These are really beautiful. we have a lot of ice storms in Arkansas as well but nothing that looks anything l
Thanks for all this info!
The photographs accompanying this post are nothing less than spectacular. Thanks for sharing!
hi, I came here via stumble, and I just wanted to thank you for actually putting some effort into this post. Nearly every other click on the stumble button produces a blog entry showing extreme natural phenomena, but this one is the first and only that actually had interesting and helpful reference information and obvious thought put into the presentation. Thanks.
your pictures makes me cry...
hi, I'm from Ontario and remember the ice storm really well... I managed to be able to stay in my home for the first week. After that I had to go to my folks house for a week and finally with a friend for the remainder. I was without power for 21 days. It's amazing how beautiful nature can be when at her most destructive. Everything was quiet, no sounds of cars or anything, just the sounds of the ice as branches moved in the wind and pieces fell. A truly awesome experience!
"Everything was quiet, no sounds of cars or anything, just the sounds of the ice as branches moved in the wind and pieces fell. "
Wow. I can easily imagine that. Still, 21 days without power is pretty hairy.
Niesamowite....
I live in New England, and Ice Storms are just a common part of life here. I remember a big Ice Storm back in '97 that knocked out power to around a million people. I was out of power for about a week, the entire state of Maine basically shut down.
They can be the most destructive of storms, but they can also be the most beautiful sights in the world. Watching the morning sun set afire a forest enshrouded in ice, with nothing but the sound of tinkling branches falling in the wind, is something you can't forget.
Post a Comment
<< Home