More on 2000 ice storm

Jim Clark lives in northern Red River County, about three-quarters of a mile north of FM 1159. The road to Jim's place is edged with trees, and part of the road is below ground level. The weight of ice on the trees caused limbs to break and fall onto the road. Jim said he spent two hours with a chain saw cutting his way to the Farm to Market road. His pecan trees were damaged, too. Limbs dropped around the trunks, "It looked like people getting ready for a bonfire," he said. "All that was needed was Joan of Arc."

With ice taking down electrical lines all over the county, many places were without power for some time. Clarksville had no electricity for about a week. People suffered from the cold, since houses required electricity to run central heat. A man in Bagota decided to move his family from town to the old farmstead, where there were propane space heaters and a propane stove. He contacted the local propane company and had the old tank filled. No one had lived in the house for some time. Several hours after the propane truck left the house, the man went to light the water heater. Accumulated gas beneath the house ignited, destroying the house and killing the man. His wife sued the propane company, claiming the company should have warned her husband about the danger of possible accumulated gas. The company settled out of court, with details of the settlement sealed.

FEMA representatives asked county commissioners what was most needed. Commissioners mentioned lack of electricity could cause problems with water treatment and wastewater treatment. Within a couple of days, a trucking company delivered several big new generators. The county had to pay for the generators, and then took a substantial loss when later selling the things.

With limbs blocking many county roads, commissioners contracted with a Mississippi company to clear roads and dispose of limbs. The cost was high, especially for a poor county. FEMA reimbursed the payments.

Big storms cost a lot of money to cities, counties and to people.