The picture below shows a tree nearly bent in half from the weight of the ice on its branches. Entire trees break in half when the weight of the ice becomes too great.

During the 1921 New England ice storm mentioned earlier, Worcester Parks Recreation Department estimated that 7,500 to 8,000 trees were completely destroyed and that an additional 5,000 to 7,000 were going to die from severe damage. Devastation to a forest by an ice storm can be as severe as the damage caused by large tornadoes.

Ice storms also have devastating effects on livestock and birds. Grazing areas covered with ice can cause many livestock to slip and fall, while ice build-up on their nostrils can cause them to suffocate.

Birds have been found suffocated, their beaks and nostrils having been frozen shut. Birds have also been found frozen to trees or unable to fly due to the weight of the ice on their wings.

to people

Terms for using data resources. CD-ROM available. Credits and Acknowledgments for WW2010. Department of Atmospheric Sciences (DAS) at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Freezing Rain