Ice Storms Can Knock Out Power for Weeks. Here's How to Prepare.

Ice storms are among the most destructive winter weather events. They knock out power for days or weeks, cause widespread property damage, and create dangerous conditions that last.

A quarter inch of ice breaks tree branches and snaps power lines. Half an inch brings widespread outages and makes roads completely impassable. Three-quarters of an inch or more? Think catastrophic damage like power outages lasting weeks and structural damage to buildings.

That's not exaggeration. Ice storms have knocked out power to entire regions for weeks at a time. People have frozen to death in their homes because they weren't prepared.

Stock Up Before the Storm Hits

You need emergency supplies for at least 72 hours, such as: