A series of powerful winter storms swept through central Iowa in March, leaving thousands of Midland Power members in the dark.
The first, a fierce blizzard that hit the night of March 4, knocked out power to roughly 1,300 members, primarily in Story, Boone, and Greene counties. Two weeks later, a similar storm stuck during the day on March 19, causing approximately 400 outages, with Webster and Greene counties being hardest hit.
In both storms, the majority of outages were caused by "galloping lines," a dangerous accumulation of ice on power lines coupled with high winds. Galloping lines get their name from the way they wildly undulate or "gallop" in the wind.
During the March storms, galloping was responsible for the majority of the co-op’s outages as ice and strong winds caused lines to become damaged, broke cross-arms, and dislodged lines from insulators. In many locations, the galloping caused lines to touch tripping breakers that required line crews to manually reset them.
Galloping starts with the formation of ice on a power line, which often takes the shape of a teardrop. If there are strong winds, this teardrop-shaped ice builds up on one side of the power line, resulting in aerodynamic lift akin to an airplane wing. This results in its destinctive galloping movement. Unfortunately, once galloping starts, there isn’t much that can be done to alleviate the issue until the wind stops.
During both storm events, Midland Power’s linemen worked well into the night to attempt to restore power.
In both instances, near-whiteout driving conditions and treacherous, often impassable roadways hindered them. This was particularly true in more remote areas, where county plows had often not yet cleared roads. As a result, crews were frequently forced to spend time trying to access members’ locations via multiple routes, often encountering waist-high snow drifts that prevented them from getting through.
The impassable roads also prevented them from fully patrolling lines. As a result, their attempts to reenergize lines would sometimes fail as new, but unseen faults would re-trip the line, taking it back out of service.
Despite these challenges and the brutally cold and windy working conditions, crews made significant progress, restoring the majority of outages from the March 4 storm within 24 hours. Almost all members without power from the March 19 storm were restored that evening.
Both storms are important reminders to always use caution around power lines and electrical equipment. If you encounter dangerously swaying or bucking power lines, stay away and warn others to stay away.
If you encounter a downed line, never touch it or approach it. Always assume the line is energized and immediately call 911 and the co-op at (800) 833-8876. Remember to never approach, touch, or attempt to reenergize cooperative equipment.
The results could be deadly for both you and Midland’s linemen!
