Digital images added at 3:34pm CST; taken a bit earlier outside our house.
Just to let my readers and correspondents know, we're hunkering down getting ready for the worst, yet hoping for the best. I would say we have, currently, about 1/4 inch of ice on the trees and powerlines, and the rain is coming steadily. It is predicted that we'll recieve another 1/4 to 1/2 inch of ice in the next 24 hrs., which means, essentially, weeks-long power outages and a big ol' mess t'boot.
But don't worry too much about us. We have plenty of food and water at the house, an alternative source of heat, and I just went out and started the generator for good measure's sake. I'm going to try my best to stay off the roads until this thing blows over. And I'll try to keep you updated. More later.
Update, 3:00 pm local time:
The temperature has dropped two or three degrees in the last couple of hours, and the precipitation, locally, has changed from rain to sleet. We've had, by my count, five separate (local) occurances of temporary power outages, lasting not more than a few seconds, since about 10:00 am today. And the roads are getting treacherous.
Update no. 2, Jan. 29, 7:40am
Though we're currently froze up pretty solid, and the roads are still hazardous, it looks like Providence smiled upon us this go 'round, at least in my little neighborhood, as we still have all of our utilities despite the fact that the ice continued to accumulate. But after the destructive ice storm of 2007, probably a full half of our power lines and poles were replaced with new ones, which certainly didn't hurt matters in this case. Not to mention that the trees were cut away then, mainly by nature, from the power lines. Nonetheless, the generator remains on standby. :-)
