Ice Storm

1/13/2022 (Permalink)

Ice Storms and SERVPRO Emergency Mitigation

Ice storms are caused by freeing rain. It starts with a layer of warmer air above a layer of sub-freezing temperatures.  Frozen precipitation melts to rain while falling into the warm air layer and then becomes frozen again when falling into the cold layer. When the falling precipitation lands on surfaces it becomes a thin sheet of ice. The freezing rain will cover everything with heavy, smooth glazed ice. In the United States, ice storms happen most often in the months of December and January.

When ice falls on trees it can increase their weight by 30 times. This leads to fallen branches and entire trees to fall. This can cause roads to be blocked, tear down power lines and utility poles. This can lead people to be without power for days to weeks. Winter storms have been referred to as deceptive killers by the National Weather Service. Deaths are indirectly related to ice storms due to car crashes and death from prolonged exposure to the cold. It is recommended to stay inside for warmth and allow your pets to be inside or well taken care of if remaining outside.

Ice storms must be at least 0.25-inch of ice on exposed areas to be considered an ice storm. They are more common than blizzards and average 16 per year.  Urban areas suffer the most due to the concentration of utilities and transportation systems. Each of these can be affected greatly by an ice storm and costing billions of dollars in repairs. Businesses are directly affected by the outages and can suffer significant loss.

No matter the weather or what Mother Nature brings our way, SERVPRO of the Quad Cities is here 24/7 to assist. We offer board up and roof tarping due to any damage sustained from the freezing precipitation. During the freezing weather pipes can easily freeze causing water damage to your property. We offer quick service so the structure of your home and contents do not suffer any further damage. This saves you as the homeowner on further repairs and out of pocket expenses. We work directly with your insurance carrier to speed the mitigation process along. Damage to your home is stressful enough so let your local SERVPRO of the Quad Cities oversee your mitigation needs due to weather related loss.