Lessons Learned from the 1998 Ice Storm of Upstate New York

A catastrophic ice storm crushed Upstate New York and portions of southern Canada in January 1998. Days of freezing rain left more than 3 inches of ice on trees, power lines, and utility poles, causing extended power outages during the coldest time of the year. Rouses Point, New York, a village on the border of Vermont and Quebec, Canada, fared better than many other locations because they started burying power lines underground seven years before the ice storm struck. This episode provides on-the-ground interviews with village historian Brandon Racine and trustee Ben Arno, as they share lessons learned that will relate to all disaster-prone communities, regardless of the hazard.