Alabama Among 33 States at Risk as Major Ice Storm Looms

According to reports, Alabama is among the 33 states that could be affected by this winter storm. This weather system “could affect over 180 million people in the U.S. with snow and/or ice,” said The Weather Channel.

In Alabama, we're looking at possible icy roads and more. The question is, do you know how to properly prepare for situations like this?

Get our free mobile app

According to WCNBC, with between a tenth-and-a-quarter inch, ice begins coating tree branches and power lines. Once accumulation reaches a quarter-and-a-half inch, widespread power outages become likely. A quarter-inch of ice coats the lines and significantly increases the weight of power lines. This added weight can cause lines to sag, break, or even snap.

Alabama Power Western Division Spokesperson Danielle Kimborough spoke on what the company does in times like these when it comes to their customers and their services.

"We try our best to make sure that we're helping customers stay informed during this time," Kimborough said.

"Alabama Power is very focused on making sure that we help customers prepare and that they understand that we're also preparing as a company to be positioned and ready should outages occur and make sure that we're restoring power as quickly as possible."

Kimborough said that if outages do occur, patience is needed.

"We work to restore essential services first, then we focus on restoring the most customers in the shortest amount of time."

You can hear the full interview with Alabama Power below.