On November 27, 2005, an ice storm caused excessive damage to twelve hundred transmission poles and
approximately 725 miles of power lines maintained by East River Electric Power Corporation. Freezing rain quickly accumulated on the lines. The combination of wind gusts and the weight of ice on the lines caused transmission poles to break. Power outages occurred in much of Eastern South Dakota.
The National Weather Service in Aberdeen documents the impact of the storm in its record of “Weather on this day in History”.
There was a significant early winter storm that moved through the region from November 27th through the 29th. There were significant snow and blizzard conditions, plus freezing rain and ice accumulations in northeastern South Dakota and west central Minnesota. Snow fell for a day and a half accompanied by strong northwest winds with gusts to 70 mph. There was as much as 20 inches of snow in some areas, and visibilities were reduced to zero, with snowdrifts of 5 to 10 feet in some places.
Power lines near Pierre were brought down by snow and high winds. Many roads, including Interstate 90, were closed and several people had to be rescued. Further east, widespread freezing rain led to significant ice accumulations of 1 to 2 inches. High winds and heavy ice accumulations caused several thousand power poles, some steel, along with several thousand miles of power lines, to come down. The result was widespread power outages. Several hundred miles of high-voltage power lines and towers were also damaged.
The National Guard also helped with getting generators, cots, blankets, and meals to storm shelters. There were also problems with livestock and one electric cooperative reported that repairs to the infrastructure would continue for months and years.
The National Weather Service official report on a blizzard and ice storm that began November 27th and paralyzed much of eastern South Dakota in 2005.
Production help is provided by Doctor Brad Tennant, Dakota Wesleyan University.