Is There Beauty In Disaster?
 

Well, it surely depends on the disaster. This case is the Oklahoma Ice Storm of 2002. This has nothing to Epaneul Bretons. We just thought some scenes may interest you.

In January 2002 the worst ice storm in 100 years hit a massive part of Oklahoma. The area included our farm. Some areas had up to 3 to 4 inches of ice coating roads, trees, power lines, etc. Some power lines were 6 inches in diameter with ice on the wires. This load of ice was devastating to electric power lines and trees. The roof on some farm buildings collapsed. The storm covered 28 of the 77 counties in Oklahoma and over 14 million acres of farmland and towns within that area. Over 200,000 people were without electricity, all for a week or more, many for 2 to 3 weeks and some for 4 to 6 weeks. The Electric Coop that serves our farm had to replace about 5000 poles and associated wire. Another Central Oklahoma Electric Coop had to rebuild the whole system. The total electric lines they rebuild would stretch the distance from Central Oklahoma to North Dakota. 15,000 poles.

The following photographs show some of the damages and the beauty, if you can see it.

The farmstead in the grip of ice.

Wrecked trees after the thaw.

Downed power lines. At one hilltop location, I could see many miles. As far as could be seen, in all directions, there were not but about 6 poles standing.

A barbed wire fence and bluebird house with ice.

Electric fence and pasture covered in ice.