Ice causes slick roads and outages

About a quarter-inch of ice frosted the Cape Girardeau area Saturday night and Sunday morning in the region's first major bout of winter weather this year.

The ice caused slick roads and power outages in Cape Girardeau and the surrounding area.

According to Dan O'Brien with AmerenUE, about 1,100 customers were left without power in Cape Girardeau, mostly on the northwest side of town. There were a total of 21 separate outages in Cape Girardeau, said O'Brien, who expected to have power restored Sunday evening.

"We've just been sitting around being bored," said Matt Martin, a Cape Girardeau resident whose power had been out since noon Sunday. "The kids are running wild and wanting to watch TV. We had to cook supper on a propane camping stove. I'm already trying to get out and maybe go to a store where it's warm."

Tim Gramling, interim director of the Cape Girardeau Public Works Department, said crews spent two or three hours in the morning spreading salt on "a few slick spots" and in the afternoon cleared limbs that had fallen on city streets in six locations.

Medical calls, line calls

The Cape Girardeau Fire Department reported a busier-than-usual day, responding to downed power lines and medical calls related to the weather, said Capt. Mike Ramsey. No structure fires were caused by the downed lines.

Power outages caused by tree limbs striking lines and transformers were also reported by the Jackson Public Works Department.

The storm was at its worst in the northern part of the region, according to Chris Noles with the National Weather Service in Paducah, Ky. The southern part received little if any precipitation, he said.

Flurries are possible today, with highs reaching 40, according to AccuWeather.com.

Sheriff's departments in Perry, Bollinger and Scott counties received no reports of power outages, and the Missouri State Highway Patrol reported no accidents in the area that resulted in injury.

The ice also caused cancellations and delays at airports in Kansas City and St. Louis.

The patrol said Interstate 70 from Kansas City to St. Louis was covered in ice Sunday and was advising travelers to stay home.

It appeared that many people were taking the advice. Church services were canceled in many cities, including Kansas City, Fulton, Jefferson City and Columbia.

Heather Momberg, a cashier at Break Time service station in Columbia, said she had seen only 10 customers by early afternoon Sunday. Three of the customers had sought her help opening the frozen-solid doors covering the lids of their gas tanks. She said deicers, window scrapers and cappuccinos were selling well among those who braved the cold and ice.

"What's really funny is a guy came in here talking on his cell phone for an hour and a half and when he went back to his car he couldn't get into it," Momberg said. "He spent five minutes trying to get into his car."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

msanders@semissourian.com

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