2011 Georgia Ice Storm

To get the full effect, click on the photos for larger images (about 1.5 mb each).


Early in the morning of Monday, January 10th it began to rain, just before dawn.

The temperature was 32 degrees F, and as the rain fell it froze.

Here I'm looking out the office window and wondering if I want to go out during a lull in the rain.

The power had gone off around 10 a.m., and the way ice was accumulating on everything, I didn't expect to have power back that night.

By early afternoon this is what the yard around my cabin looked like.

I drove into town and got a room for the night.

It rained - freezing rain - all night. This icile-clad street sign greeted me at the corner when I went home the next morning.

By now everything had been covered with ice for over 24 hours. The weight of the ice combined with the amount of time it clung to the trees started causing serious damage.

These trees were downed on Herndon Road, in front of Richard's place.

Richard's driveway was a bit of a challenge.

Luckily, while there were lots of big branches down, nothing had hit the house or the barn. This branch was a near miss, but no damage done.

Then I drove over to my side of the farm, where my cabin is. This was my driveway.

It was two days before I could drive in. Scooter and I walked.

It took me that long to clear the trees.

It was like living in a fairy wonderland.

It was incredibly beautiful, and the icy branches tinkled in the wind.

Young pine trees, under five years old, were damaged the most. I saw entire fields of planted pines down like these trees in my back yard.

Walking the paths in the woods, there were lots more trees down. I'll be a month clearing some of this out.

But it sure was beautiful. This is about 10 a.m. on Tuesday morning.

We didn't get power back until Wednesday, but I kept warm all day chopping and moving trees.

Jim Carey