Just three years ago, the cold frigid artic air and moisture rising from the south created the “Ice Storm Of All Ice Stormsâ€. The sounds of cracking and breaking trees and tree limbs rang through the night. Many in our area got their first glimpse of the damage at first light. Many homes, barns and buildings sustained damage and hundreds of thousands of trees were damaged in North East Arkansas.
Our family was lucky, although we were without power for nine days we had heat, water and food. County Roads were not passable in some areas but residents with chainsaws and local fire departments worked to clear passages, enabling most to get out. This only created more challenges, icy conditions made travel near impossible and everything in town was without power including gas stations and stores.
By the end of the first day as the sun went down, generators could be heard all through town, producing temporary power for those who had them. Town was very dark, only the sight of occasional lamps being powered by generators could be seen. At first, our children enjoyed the “camping†atmosphere, that soon wore off.
At the very least, it was quite an adventure. Now three years later, very little of the damage can still be seen. More households in Lawrence County own generators than ever before and are probably a lot more prepared. We were lucky in Imboden, no injuries or deaths. Our fire department is owed a debt of gratitude for the long hours and countless residents they helped. It’s times like this that make you proud to live in a great area like this.
Here are a few photos taken by Linda Chappell of Imboden, the full set is on the City of Imboden website at www.imbodenarkansas.com . Thank You Linda for sharing these!
