Silent Killer: Lessons from the North American Ice Storm of 2007
This January 12 will mark the 16th anniversary (2007) of the start of the North American Ice Storm of 2007, a disaster that impacted multiple states, crippled energy grids, and led to hundreds-of-thousands being left without power.
January 2007 had started off normal enough (NWS, 2007) as Mid and South Westerners prepared for yet another month of frigid winter that they had come to expect as the norm for this time of year. For those in Missouri and Oklahoma, however, the first signs of trouble appeared on January 11th when the temperatures rapidly dropped from around 45 to 17 degrees in a span of a day (Weather Underground, n.d.).
The meteorological phenomenon responsible for the storm was a weather condition known as supercooling, during which raindrops remain in a liquid form despite subfreezing temperatures. Upon coming into contact with something upon decent, it freezes to it instantly. Springfield, Missouri, for example, saw an accumulation of over 1.5 inches of ice that coated everything as far as the eye could see.
Everything from telephone lines and trees to electrical substations were collapsing under the immense weight of the ice buildup, resulting in hundreds of thousands being left without power (NWS, 2007), a frightening notion in such frigid and dangerous conditions. Many highways and roads became undrivable and international airports were forced to close, greatly limiting the scope of aid that could be delivered to end-users in a timely manner.
Making this crisis more challenging, the region, which had experienced a deadly winter storm less than a month prior, was only beginning to recover when the storm hit, leaving many unprepared to face such an ordeal once more.
Lessons in Carbon Monoxide Awareness and Monitoring
Carbon Monoxide, although less talked about during power outages, is a leading cause of fatalities – especially during winter storms. Without the electricity to power and heat their homes through traditional methods many are forced to turn to more hazardous sources such as wood-burning stoves, generators, and fireplaces, to keep warm. These methods, while effective, pose significant carbon monoxide risk to occupants if not properly used or maintained. Both silent and odorless, mass Carbon Monoxide poisonings are commonplace in the immediate aftermath of power outages.
Unfortunately, several studies have indicated that Carbon Monoxide poisoning by this type of equipment is greatly misunderstood by the public (Damon et al., 2013; Hampson & Stock, 2006; King & Damon, 2011). It is also significantly underreported. Despite this, more than 40,000 people in the United States are injured by the gas annually (Henry et al., 2006). Thus, there seems to be a great need for better public education, notification, and warning tools.
Carbon monoxide is harmful because it binds to hemoglobin in the blood, reducing the ability of blood to carry oxygen. This interferes with oxygen delivery to the body’s organs. The most common effects of CO exposure are fatigue, headaches, confusion, and dizziness due to inadequate oxygen delivery to the brain. (California Air Resources Board, n.d.).
To make matters worse, poisonings are often misdiagnosed and under-detected by first responders and medical personnel due to its non-specific symptoms, leaving them at risk as well. With power grids becoming increasingly strained during winter storms, fatal Carbon Monoxide poisonings have risen by over 30% in the United States while in that same period of time, fell elsewhere globally by over 53% (Strong, 2023). This statistic in-itself should warrant greater EM attention on the educational, informational, and monitoring fronts.
Additional Resources
Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Prevention Toolkit: https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/56623
Clinical Guidance for Carbon Monoxide Poisoning: https://www.cdc.gov/disasters/co_guidance.html
How to Prepare for a Winter Storm: https://www.ready.gov/sites/default/files/2020-08/fema_winterstorm_htp.pdf
Responding to Residential Carbon Monoxide Incidents: Guidelines for Fire and Other Emergency Response Personnel. https://www.cpsc.gov/s3fs-public/coguide.pdf
References
California Air Resources Board. (n.d.). Carbon Monoxide & Health. California Air Resources Board. https://ww2.arb.ca.gov/resources/carbon-monoxide-and-health
Damon, S. A., Poehlman, J. A., Rupert, D. J., & Williams, P. N. (2013). Storm-related carbon monoxide poisoning: An investigation of target audience knowledge and risk behaviors. Social Marketing Quarterly, 19(3), 188. https://doi.org/10.1177/1524500413493426
Hampson, N. B., & Stock, A. L. (2006). Storm-related carbon monoxide poisoning: Lessons learned from recent epidemics. Undersea & Hyperbaric Medicine: Journal of the Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society, Inc, 33(4), 257–263.
Henry, C. R., Satran, D., Lindgren, B., Adkinson, C., Nicholson, C. I., & Henry, T. D. (2006). Myocardial injury and long-term mortality following moderate to severe carbon monoxide poisoning. JAMA, 295(4), 398–402. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.295.4.398
King, M. E., & Damon, S. A. (2011). Attitudes about carbon monoxide safety in the united states: Results from the 2005 and 2006 healthstyles survey. Public Health Reports, 126(Suppl 1), 100–107. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3072908/
NWS. (2007). Ice Storm—January 12th-14th, 2007. National Weather Service. https://www.weather.gov/sgf/events_2007jan12#
Stong, C. (2023, November 3). Unintended Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Deaths Rose in US But Fell Globally. Pulmonology Advisor. https://www.pulmonologyadvisor.com/home/general-pulmonology/unintentional-carbon-monoxide-poisoning-deaths-2000-2021/
Weather Underground. (n.d.). Kansas City, MO Weather History. Weather Underground. https://www.wunderground.com/history/weekly/us/mo/kansas-city/KMCI/date/2007-1-10