This story is free to read because readers choose to support LAist. If you find value in independent local reporting, make a donation to power our newsroom today.
Ice Storm Leaves 30 Dead in Lower Midwest
Listen
0:00
Listen
So far, 30 deaths are being blamed on winter weather that dumped freezing rain and sleet this weekend over the lower Midwest. The weather system has moved out of the region, but hundreds of thousands of customers were still without power Monday.
Utility crews in Oklahoma reported up to 4 inches of ice on power lines in some areas. The ice contributed to power outages and hundreds of accidents on the roadways spanning from Texas, through Oklahoma and Missouri into Iowa and Illinois.
Missouri Gov. Matt Blunt has activated the National Guard to do house-to-house checks in Southwest Missouri and the St Louis area. Blunt says they're also helping with cleanup, and transportation and meal delivery for the homebound.
The latest forecast calls for gusty winds and, later in the week, warmer temperatures but those changes could mean new problems for utilities working to restore power to customers. Ice that thaws and falls from vegetation could cause the limbs to fly upward, with the possibility of snapping more power lines.
Missy Shelton reports for member station KSMU in Springfield, Mo.
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. 9(MDA1OTI3MjQ5MDEyODUwMTE2MzM1YzNmZA004))
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our connected community. We are free to tell the full truth, to hold power to account without fear or favor, and to follow facts wherever they lead. Our only loyalty is to our audiences and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen our community.
Right now, LAist has lost $1.7M in annual funding due to Congress clawing back money already approved. The support we receive from readers like you will determine how fully our newsroom can continue informing, serving, and strengthening Southern California.
If this story helped you today, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Your tax-deductible donation keeps LAist independent and accessible to everyone.
Right now, LAist has lost $1.7M in annual funding due to Congress clawing back money already approved. The support we receive from readers like you will determine how fully our newsroom can continue informing, serving, and strengthening Southern California.
If this story helped you today, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Your tax-deductible donation keeps LAist independent and accessible to everyone.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
