Feb 14, 2008

Although none was quite so severe as the one last January, areas of southwest Missouri have been hit by three major ice storms in the past 13 months. The previous storms skirted the Ava area with the local region experiencing little or no effect from the ice. A mixture of freezing rain, sleet and snow began falling in the Ava area Monday morning and continued through most of the day, creating treacherous driving conditions. With three to four inches of icy slush piling up, most main roads and streets remained open, although side streets and parking lots became packed with ice. Then came another round of freezing rain Monday night which, added to that already accumulated, brought the finishing touch to an already bad experience. By bedtime Monday night, more than an inch of ice had formed on trees and power lines, and under the added weight, trees began snapping, and as the branches fell, many utility lines came down, as well. The eerie sound of limbs snapping and crashing to the ground created a feeling of uneasiness, even for those who did not lose electrical service. White River Valley Electric Co-op reported that up to 2,400 customers from Ozark to Ava, and east of Ava, were without power at the peak of the storm. By 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, the number had been reduced to 2,200, and by noon Tuesday White River reported that the number of outages was reduced to about 1,500. Most of the outages were in Douglas County, according to information released by Jeff Pardeck, member services manager. By 4 p.m. Tuesday, the number of folks without power had been reduced to 850, and by Wednesday morning the number of outages was reported at fewer than 100. White River Electric advises customers who may still have outages to call 800-695-0056. The Ava Electric Department worked through the night Monday keeping the power on for as many customers as possible. While some parts of the city never lost power, the most widespread outage seemed to be along NE 6th Avenue from 5th Street to FF Highway. Mayor Leon Harris also said Tuesday morning the electric department had been unable to get its trucks to some problem areas because of the ice. As of Wednesday morning, Ava City Utilities reported that most electrical service had been restored, with the exception of those residences where the service line has been pulled away from the house. Those services must be repaired by the homeowner before the city can turn the power back on. There were some isolated areas of the city still without power Wednesday because the electric department was physically unable to get to the problem. A spokesman for White River Electric said Tuesday morning that crews had been out since 7 p.m., Monday working to restore power and more were called in as overnight conditions worsened. By Tuesday morning, all White River crews were working to restore power. Classes at all area schools were dismissed Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, with little hope of getting back in school by the end of the week as rural roads are still packed with several inches of ice. Ava Schools are scheduled to be out Monday for Presidents’ Day, and that day was not included on the school calendar as a make-up day. Many offices and businesses didn’t even open – or worked abbreviated hours – Monday and Tuesday as workers found it virtually impossible to navigate the icy roads. Bright sunshine Wednesday morning was a welcomed change, although Tuesday night’s clearing skies allowed the temperature to drop into the low teens or even into single digits early Wednesday. Temperatures were expected to rise above freezing Wednesday, with even warmer temperatures expected on Thursday. But forecasters said there was a chance of more wintry weather Thursday night and early Friday. Winds were also expected to pick up during the day Wednesday which could cause much more damage and additional power outages where the trees are still coated with a heavy layer of ice.