Ice Storm
Freezing rain accumulating a quarter inch or more of ice, or less where it caused significant damage. Every one the National Weather Service has filed, by year and by state, with the deadliest and costliest.
The deadliest and costliest on the map
The deadliest and costliest ice storm episodes on record.
- Tornadoes
- Tropical storms and surge
- Floods
- Wind
- Hail
- Winter weather
- Heat and drought
- Cold
- Fire, smoke and dust
- Marine and coastal
- Other
The record
- Events
- 12,673
- Deaths
- 199
- Injuries
- 1,891
- Damage
- $6.1 billion
Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.
Every year
Deaths each year
The deadliest
Deaths from this kind of event within each episode.
- Ice Storm in Kentucky, January 26 to 28, 2009This historic, prolonged ice storm was called the biggest disaster in modern Kentucky history by the governor of Kentucky. The storm produced at least one inch of ice across western Kentucky.
- Ice Storm in Oklahoma, December 9 to 11, 2007A devastating ice storm affected a large swath of Oklahoma beginning on the 9th and continuing through the 11th over parts of the area.
- Blizzard and Ice Storm in Texas, December 28 to 31, 2006A strong and vigorous upper low moved across the Rockies and produced heavy snow and blizzard conditions along with freezing rain to the western and central Texas panhandle.
- Ice Storm in Texas, December 22 to 24, 1998A strong arctic cold front moved through North Texas on the 21st, bringing freezing temperatures to all of North Texas by the morning of the 22nd. Southwest winds aloft produced overrunning conditions, resulting in cloudy skies and a mixture of freezing rain, sleet, and snow.
- Ice Storm and Winter Storm in Oregon, January 16 to 21, 2024The cold air mass remained in place from the initial arctic air mass with freezing temperatures continuing. Bouts of precipitation brought more freezing rain, snow as well.
- Ice Storm and Winter Storm in Mississippi, January 23 to 25, 2026A significant winter weather event impacted the Mid-South from January 23rd through January 25th, 2026, driven by a classic southern-stream cyclone interacting with entrenched Arctic air across the region.
- Ice Storm in Arkansas, January 26 to 28, 2009The combination of abundant moisture, a low pressure system moving through the region, and cold air at the surface caused an ice storm to occur over Northeast Arkansas. Most of the precipitation fell in the form of freezing rain.
- Blizzard and Ice Storm in Alaska, March 16 to 19, 1999An extremely intense storm moved up toward the extreme Western Aleutians late Tuesday continuing to just south of Adak as a 946mb center 9pm Wednesday.
- Ice Storm in Arizona, January 25, 2006A low pressure center moving into Arizona and a cold easterly flow into the into the Little Colorado River Valley, White Mountains, and Eastern Mogollon Rim caused widespread freezing drizzle and freezing rain.
- Ice Storm and Winter Storm in Oklahoma, December 27 to 28, 2015As an upper low came down on the 26th, numerous showers and storms began to form. A cold front moved through the area that night, gradually bringing the area below freezing. The 27th saw precipitation transition to sleet and freezing rain.
- Ice Storm in Mississippi, February 3 to 4, 2011An ice storm developed across the area on February 3rd into the early morning hours of the 4th. While this icing event was not devastating, the impact to travel was a major issue across the region. Thousands of accidents occurred from slick roads.
- Ice Storm in Kansas, December 20, 1998Freezing drizzle and snow caused icy road conditions and resulted in 4 fatal accidents which killed 4 people. A two vehicle accident occurred on Highway 10 near Eudora. and killed a woman.
- Ice Storm in Oklahoma, December 8 to 11, 2007Arctic air spread into the region ahead of a strong storm system over the desert southwest. Several disturbances translated from the low pressure area across the Southern Plains, resulting in several periods of precipitation, including thunderstorms.
- Ice Storm in South Dakota, November 14 to 18, 1996An ice storm consisting of several periods of freezing rain caused widespread damage and paralyzed travel. Widespread damage occurred to electrical poles and lines, leaving thousands without power for up to four days.
- Ice Storm in South Dakota, January 10, 1996A narrow band of freezing rain caused major disruption to traffic just after the beginning of rush hour, especially in the cities of Sioux Falls and Watertown. Over one hundred accidents occurred, including a collision near Watertown which caused 3 fatalities.
- Ice Storm in Texas, January 12 to 13, 1997Freezing rain/sleet event occured on the 12th-13th. Trees, powerlines and roadways were all effected. The weight of the ice caused trees and powerlines to snap/fall. Glazed roadways posed hazardous driving conditions.
- Ice Storm in Kansas, February 27, 2001Slick roads caused by freezing rain resulted in a 2 vehicle collision that killed 3 people near Vassar.
- Ice Storm in New York, January 14 to 15, 2007A low pressure system moved northeast into the Ohio Valley and spread a mix of snow and sleet into upstate New York after midnight on the 15th. The snow and sleet changed to freezing rain across most of the area during the morning.
- Ice Storm in Texas, November 26 to 28, 2015A cold front moved through the Texas Panhandle on the night of the 25th resulting in a layer of shallow cold air across the area on the 26th. A strong storm system approached from the west bringing moisture and relatively warm air atop the cold shallow layer.
- Ice Storm in Louisiana, January 12 to 14, 1997A record ice storm hit southwest Louisiana and southeast Texas. The hardest hit area was Calcasieu Parish. Over 40,000 electric customers were without power for up to six days due to the number of downed trees and power lines.
- Ice Storm and Winter Weather in Illinois, December 28, 2015A multi-faceted storm system impacted central Illinois from December 26th through 28th...bringing heavy rainfall, significant ice accumulations, and strong winds.
- Ice Storm and Winter Storm in Texas, February 1 to 4, 2011The first week of February 2011 was plagued with two winter weather events and persistent cold temperatures. The first winter storm began late on January 31st and ended during the morning hours of February 1st.
- Ice Storm and Winter Weather in Texas, January 27 to 28, 2009A shallow arctic airmass moved over north Texas as an upper level storm system moved in from the west. Periods of rain, freezing rain, and sleet occurred resulting in thousands of traffic accidents and numerous power outages.
- Ice Storm and Heavy Snow in California, December 20 to 21, 1998In conjunction with the freeze event affecting area agriculture, the combination of moisture and unusally cold air led to the development of black ice on Central San Joaquin Valley roadways.
- Ice Storm and Winter Weather in Texas, January 12 to 14, 2007A bitterly cold arctic air mass moved into the South Plains region of west Texas during the daytime hours on the 12th.
The costliest
Damage from this kind of event within each episode, in the dollars of its year.
- Ice Storm in Oklahoma, December 8 to 11, 2007
- Ice Storm and Winter Weather in Arkansas, January 26 to 28, 2009
- Ice Storm in Arkansas, December 12 to 13, 2000
- Ice Storm in Missouri, January 12 to 14, 2007
- Ice Storm in Kentucky, January 26 to 28, 2009
- Ice Storm and Heavy Snow in Maine, January 5 to 10, 1998
- Ice Storm in Oklahoma, January 30 to 31, 2002
- Ice Storm in Arkansas, December 24 to 26, 2000
- Ice Storm in Michigan, April 3 to 5, 2003
- Ice Storm in Oklahoma, December 9 to 11, 2007
- Ice Storm in Kansas, December 10 to 11, 2007
- Ice Storm in Ohio, January 5 to 6, 2005
- Ice Storm in Texas, December 12 to 13, 2000
- Ice Storm in Arkansas, January 26 to 28, 2009
- Ice Storm in Louisiana, December 24 to 26, 2000
- Ice Storm and Heavy Snow in North Carolina, December 4 to 5, 2002
- Ice Storm in South Carolina, December 4 to 5, 2002
- Ice Storm in North Carolina, December 4 to 5, 2002
- Ice Storm in North Dakota, April 4 to 5, 1997
- Ice Storm and Winter Storm in Oklahoma, December 26, 2000
- Ice Storm in Nebraska, December 29 to 31, 2006
- Ice Storm in North Carolina, February 2, 1996
- Ice Storm in Missouri, January 26 to 28, 2009
- Ice Storm in Georgia, January 22 to 23, 2000
- Ice Storm and Heavy Snow in Michigan, February 22 to 23, 2023
By state
| State or waters | Events | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Iowa | 957 | 2 | 3 | $50 million |
| Texas | 936 | 33 | 399 | $220 million |
| Missouri | 740 | 0 | 10 | $462 million |
| Kentucky | 647 | 13 | 2 | $339 million |
| Oklahoma | 632 | 21 | 22 | $1.3 billion |
| Pennsylvania | 568 | 0 | 66 | $1.4 million |
| Virginia | 565 | 0 | 2 | $25 million |
| Kansas | 563 | 16 | 35 | $203 million |
| Georgia | 504 | 2 | 6 | $56 million |
| Illinois | 488 | 7 | 52 | $13 million |
| North Carolina | 486 | 1 | 0 | $301 million |
| Arkansas | 451 | 10 | 1 | $1.3 billion |
| Michigan | 430 | 2 | 5 | $317 million |
| Ohio | 354 | 3 | 5 | $137 million |
| Indiana | 336 | 2 | 3 | $1.2 million |
| Minnesota | 335 | 0 | 3 | $41 million |
| Mississippi | 330 | 9 | 21 | $69 million |
| New York | 326 | 7 | 8 | $102 million |
| Wisconsin | 313 | 1 | 15 | $767,000 |
| South Carolina | 302 | 3 | 28 | $149 million |
| Tennessee | 290 | 5 | 3 | $2.5 million |
| Nebraska | 288 | 6 | 5 | $78 million |
| West Virginia | 235 | 1 | 0 | $10 million |
| South Dakota | 204 | 9 | 67 | $26 million |
| Louisiana | 199 | 9 | 17 | $157 million |
| North Dakota | 154 | 0 | 0 | $106 million |
| Alabama | 137 | 3 | 9 | $19 million |
| Alaska | 128 | 5 | 34 | $2.4 million |
| Washington | 127 | 4 | 7 | $16 million |
| Maryland | 118 | 0 | 10 | $8.8 million |
| Oregon | 107 | 8 | 34 | $54 million |
| Montana | 92 | 2 | 13 | $30,000 |
| Maine | 79 | 2 | 0 | $329 million |
| New Hampshire | 42 | 0 | 2 | $70 million |
| New Jersey | 37 | 0 | 6 | $1.0 million |
| Massachusetts | 33 | 1 | 1 | $45 million |
| Vermont | 31 | 0 | 1 | $11 million |
| New Mexico | 29 | 0 | 0 | $400,000 |
| Connecticut | 25 | 1 | 3 | $4.6 million |
| Colorado | 14 | 0 | 500 | $2,000 |
| California | 7 | 2 | 0 | $1.1 million |
| Arizona | 7 | 5 | 13 | $110,000 |
| Idaho | 7 | 0 | 0 | |
| Utah | 6 | 1 | 473 | |
| Nevada | 4 | 3 | 2 | $30,000 |
| Wyoming | 3 | 0 | 0 | |
| District of Columbia | 3 | 0 | 0 | $20,000 |
| Delaware | 2 | 0 | 5 | |
| Florida | 2 | 0 | 0 | $1.1 million |
Every kind of event
- Thunderstorm Wind
- Hail
- Flash Flood
- High Wind
- Winter Storm
- Drought
- Winter Weather
- Tornado
- Heavy Snow
- Flood
- Marine Thunderstorm Wind
- Heat
- Heavy Rain
- Strong Wind
- Excessive Heat
- Extreme Cold/Wind Chill
- Cold/Wind Chill
- Lightning
- Dense Fog
- Blizzard
- Frost/Freeze
- Ice Storm
- High Surf
- Funnel Cloud
- Wildfire
- Tropical Storm
- Waterspout
- Coastal Flood
- Lake-Effect Snow
- Debris Flow
- Hurricane (Typhoon)
- Dust Storm
- Rip Current
- Storm Surge/Tide
- Marine High Wind
- Sleet
- Avalanche
- Marine Hail
- Astronomical Low Tide
- Marine Tropical Storm
- Tropical Depression
- Freezing Fog
- Lakeshore Flood
- Dust Devil
- Marine Strong Wind
- Dense Smoke
- Marine Hurricane/Typhoon
- Volcanic Ashfall
- Seiche
- Sneakerwave
- Volcanic Ash
- Tsunami
- Marine Tropical Depression
- Marine Dense Fog
- Northern Lights
- Marine Lightning
- Hurricane
Sources
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24.