Ice Brings Down Trees and Powerlines in the Upcounty

UPDATED Montgomery County crews from the Department of Highway Services are working to clear trees from roads in the Upcounty.

Keith Compton, division chief of highway services, reports that at one time today (Feb. 5) there were 17 roads blocked by downed trees and power lines that came down because of ice.

Compton explained that an ice storm is much different that a windstorm because the trees don’t all come down at once.

He said most of the tree damage is limited to the northern part of the county, specifically  in the Poolesville and Damascus areas.  That’s because, according to Compton, the storm’s freeze line was north of Rockville.

According to Compton, by 3 p.m., crews had reopened five roads and were working to quickly clear the others.  Most of  the reports came in as trees in the power lines or wires or tree down in street.

Some of the roads the county was called to clear are: Aiken Drive (now open), Barnes Road (now open), Comus Road, Halterman Road (now open), Hipsley Mill Road (now open), Brink Road at Leaman Lane (now open), Lewis Drive (now open), Nicholson Farm Road, Peach Tree Road (now open), Purdum Road (now open) and  Sugarloaf  Drive at Forest Vista Drive (now open).

Compton said it was important to clear the roads as quickly as possible so the power companies can get their crews in to repair the downed lines in order to restore electricity to customers.

Allegheny Power reports that about 2,820 customers in Montgomery County are without power in the Upcounty this afternoon.

Officials said the number of customers without power  is much greater in Frederick County where there was more extensive tree damage from the ice storm.

Some Twitter users have posted photos of ice hanging down on limbs in the Upcounty. See below:

1/4″ ice and tree damage from Bob Leffler in Damascus, MD. pic.twitter.com/jz0TQM0SxI

— Jacqui Jeras (@JacquiJeras) February 5, 2014

Lovely ice in Clarksburg Maryland @TuckerFox5 pic.twitter.com/iwADbxNrSW

— Caren RickettsHolmes (@peytonsmom4307) February 5, 2014

Icy tree limbs here in Poolesville. pic.twitter.com/Xv8Jc7ubY5

— Mark (@MarkRoess) February 5, 2014

About Sonya Burke

Sonya Burke is the Multimedia Manager at Montgomery Community Media (MCM). You can email story ideas at sburke@mymcmedia.org or reach her on Twitter @SonyaNBurke.

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