Opinion

Ice storm hits Missouri -- again

Friday, December 14, 2007

Thousands without power. Hundreds of school and community closings. Dangerous road conditions. A state of emergency.

Sound familiar? With two devastating ice storms sweeping across Missouri in less than a year, this scenario unfortunately rings true for thousands of Missourians all across the state. Last January, more than 330,000 Missourians were without power after a storm bringing ice, snow and sleet came through the state. With Springfield and St. Louis hit the hardest, at least 70,000 in Springfield and more than 100,000 in St. Louis were in the dark. Extensive damage to trees and power lines as well as dangerous road conditions took a toll on restoring power. It took at least 14 days to restore power for all families.

Schools and businesses across the state closed. The entire first week of classes of the Spring semester was postponed at Missouri State. Eight Missourians lost their lives. Thousands of Missourians were affected financially. On the plus side, about 85 shelters were set up across the state, and Missouri National Guard members were called to assist with recovery and check in on Missouri families living without power. As is commonplace here in Missouri, communities pulled together to support neighbors and family. But many wanted somewhere to place the blame. There were cries for legislation to address utility response time and maintenance. The House of Representatives put together a Special Committee on Utilities to look into the issue, hearing testimony from utility companies across the state. The Public Service Commission told representatives it did not find any faults with any company's response to the storm. Most seemed to agree nature was the culprit -- meteorologists told the committee that the January 2007 ice storm was a once in 100 year event. However, less than a year later, another ice storm brought havoc through the Midwest including parts of Missouri. With Mid-Missouri and Northwest Missouri hit the hardest this time, a whole new group of Missouri utilities and families were affected. But after last year's devastation, numerous utilities, schools and communities were determined to be better prepared for challenges winter storms often bring. For example, Ameren UE is in the midst of a three-year billion dollar plan called "Project Power On," which includes tree trimming as a major component. Ameren plans to conduct more frequent circuit and pole inspections as well as bury up to 200 miles of lines in the areas that have seen the most outages. MoDOT is developing new ways to keep roads safe; for example, using an anti-icing product made from sugar beets to help keep the roads clear. This product which freezes at lower temperatures so it can be used even when the thermometer reads below zero. The University of Missouri laid out a detailed plan for campus preparations as well as exam cancellation procedures to keep Missouri students informed.

Although there are still thousands without power, National Guard members and volunteers from across the state and surrounding states have moved to areas in need. Gov. Blunt moved quickly to activate National Guard Members as well as secure federal assistance for clean-up efforts.

With two major ice storms in just a year, statistics might say Missouri is off the hook for awhile. But here in Missouri, we know better. The legislature will continue to work with schools, businesses and individuals across the state to prepare for whatever the weather brings our way.

Contact Barney Fisher at (573) 751-5388, by e-mail at barney.fisher@house.mo.gov or by mail at Room 408B, State Capitol Building, Jefferson City, MO. 65101.