Ice storm in Arkansas
By sweetdesign
@sweetdesign (5142)
United States
January 28, 2009 10:38am CST
My brother is in the middle of the worst ice storm to hit NW Arkansas ever. He says with all the trees falling down it looks like an ice covered war zone. He had to go get his ex wife and son and grandkids and bring them back to his 3 bedroom trailer cause the electricity was down at ex sil's house and they live in the boonies. So now it is him, his girlfriend, her 4 year old, her father, his ex wife, their 18 year old son, and 4 year old granddaughter, and 1 year old granddaughter and 2 dogs in the trailer.
Just got a call from my nephew. They are all at a motel cause there are two trees down on my brother's trailer. Jaylah (the one year old) is sick running a fever and can't keep anything down, they had no electricity at the motel till 4 am this morning. couldn't find any food last night but the motel opened up the vending machines and told the people staying there to take what they need no charge. 1000's are out of electricity and they are saying it could be 10 days or more till it is restored.
anybody else have relatives in the ice/snow storms?
2 people like this
9 responses
@Thoroughrob (11742)
• United States
28 Jan 09
I do not although the southern part of our state is in the ice storm. We have about a foot of snow. I hope they can get out of the motel soon. It is sad that there is a tree on his trailer.
1 person likes this
@sweetdesign (5142)
• United States
28 Jan 09
Just heard from my nephew again they have taken the baby to the ER. They think she has an ear infection and are hoping that is all it is. Last time she was this sick she had a lung infection. Won't know anything till they call us back.
@Thoroughrob (11742)
• United States
28 Jan 09
Hopefully, the baby is ok! It is best to get things checked out.
1 person likes this
@blackbriar (9075)
• United States
23 Feb 09
WOW!!!! Did they all get along when they were cooped up in that 'tiny' trailer? That was nice of the motel to open the vending machines for their guests. We had to weather a storm 10yrs. ago when we were living in a trailer park. Major ice/snow storm brought a couple lines down, one being right behind our mobile home, causing the whole park to be out of power for several days. Even when the power was restored, most of the park's mobile homes had no heat, therefore frozen pipes that burst while thawing causing some of us to be w/o water for over a week and a huge mess to clean up. I'll never forget that because I was preggy with our daughter at the time.
1 person likes this
@sweetdesign (5142)
• United States
25 Feb 09
Yes it was a miracle that no fights broke out. they are all back to their own homes now and back to "normal" lives. Everyone I know back home has now got restored power some were out for 2 weeks!!!!
@nilzerous1 (2434)
• India
28 Jan 09
Oh! This sounds a terrific experience, more so because of the 10 days or more restoration period. I feed for your bother a lot, and fortunately there is nobody amongst my relatives amidst the same kind of trouble. Hope normalcy will be restored soon.
1 person likes this
@sweetdesign (5142)
• United States
28 Jan 09
I hope so too. I know that with my ex sil short fuse and her temper flaring and having to deal with the little one being sick and possibly having to take her to the er everyone is on edge.
@checapricorn (16060)
• United States
28 Jan 09
[i]Hi sweet,
My in laws are living there and when I called up yesterday, they still have electricity. They are just staying in the house since it is very dangerous to go out!
Hopefully, it will be better today and no one will be harm by the said storm![/i]
1 person likes this
@sweetdesign (5142)
• United States
28 Jan 09
I got off the phone with my nephew and where they are in Fayetteville it is really bad still today. Trees are still falling everywhere and no electricity in many parts.
@carpenter5 (6782)
• United States
14 Mar 09
My daughter is in school in Walnut Ridge (North EAST, Arkansas). They were out of shcool at Williams Baptist College for 9 days because they had no electricity adn no heat.
You are right, it does look like a war zone. Some places look more like a tornado went through. the ice has caused the trees and power lines to snap like twigs. I went to pick Lauren up the Wednesday that they closed the school, because she couldn't get her car out because of downed power lines in the parking lot. There were places between Newport and Walnut Ridge where the bottom halves of the poles were sheared off and the top halves were still hanging from the power lines in mid air.
1 person likes this
@mentalward (14690)
• United States
28 Jan 09
Oh! That's horrible! I feel so badly for your brother and his family!!! And I thought WE were getting it bad!
That same storm system is here right now, giving us, first, lots of snow, then sleet, now freezing rain. It is just now at the freezing point but has been well below it throughout the night and this morning.
My husband went out to the store and said ice is covering everything! But, we still have our electricity (knock on wood)! My sons both live together, 12 miles from us so, if they lose electricity, they can come here and vice versa.
We are also supposed to get enough ice to bring down larger tree branches and power lines. Hopefully, that won't happen but we have worked out a plan, just in case.
I just feel so bad for your brother and his family! I hope they make out all right and that the electricity comes back on MUCH sooner than 10 days!
@sweetdesign (5142)
• United States
28 Jan 09
Well Ex SIL is still at the ER with the one year old they just got in to a room to wait to be seen. They have been there for 3 hours atleast. the electricity just went out again at the motel they are staying at. My nephew is there with the 4 year old while his mom is at the ER and his dad went to go get gas in the hummer. They have blankets from home though so we hope they will be ok.
@teapotmommommerced (10359)
• United States
30 Jan 09
It is horrible for all involved without power and to be in the cold and what not. I hope there is no more deaths from it.
I wonder if any volunteers are coming from other states to help clean up the mess.
@Opal26 (17679)
• United States
29 Jan 09
Hi sweet~That is really terrible! I hadn't heard about the
ice storms in Arkansas being that bad! That is really awful!
They can't even get the electricity on until 10 days! Those
poor people! What are they supposed to do for 10 days? That
is a long time to be without power! I know that ice storms
are definitely the worst! I hope that your family is able to
get some kind of help soon!
1 person likes this
