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Storm blankets Eastern Panhandle in ice

Journal photo by Ron Agnir Many trees laden with ice bend under the strain of the extra weight Wednesday afternoon in Hedgesville.
Journal photo by Ron Agnir
Many trees laden with ice bend under the strain of the extra weight Wednesday afternoon in Hedgesville.

By Samantha Cronk

The Journal

MARTINSBURG, W.Va. — A thick sheen of ice coated the Eastern Panhandle on Wednesday morning after a winter storm produced an average of three-tenths of an inch of ice, creating slippery road conditions and leaving thousands without power.

Wednesday morning’s storm was one in a recent string of weather events to bring snow and ice to residents, resulting in an accumulation of between one-fourth inch to half an inch of ice recorded by the National Weather Service in Baltimore.

The winter weather left more than 6,000 without power. Todd Meyers, a representative for Potomac Edison, estimated 3,700 outages in Berkeley County, 2,100 in Jefferson County and 300 in Morgan County.

As Wednesday progressed, Meyers said more outages were being reported and he expected the number of affected residents to continue to grow.

“It is going to be a multiple-day restoration. The numbers will continue to rise because the weather is not all done yet,” he said.

Meyers described ice as the “worst enemy” in bringing down power lines and trees, stating power lines become affected at a quarter-inch of ice accumulation. He listed the Eastern Panhandle as one of the areas hardest hit…

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