NY Under Ice: Stunning Photos From The 1998 Ice Storm

Many will never forget the ice storm of January 1998. It’s one of those winters that sticks with you forever.

I was living in Watertown, New York, and almost immediately, the storm turned our world upside down.

Starting around January 5, freezing rain began to fall, layering everything in a thick, heavy glaze of ice. Trees, power lines, roads, it all turned into a sparkling, but deadly, frozen landscape.

We Worked & Lived It

The situation became serious very quickly. Roads were completely closed in and out of town. I remember needing a police escort just to get to work at the Frog radio station, where we were on the air round-the-clock, giving updates, checking in with the community, and sharing safety information.

It wasn’t just about reporting the news; we were living it too. With power out for hundreds of thousands in the region, I ended up sleeping in a hotel with kerosene heaters just to stay warm, along with so many others who had no heat at home.

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The storm’s destruction was staggering. Entire forests were flattened, tens of thousands of utility poles snapped under the weight of ice, and over four million people lost power.

Weeks Not Days

I remember the press conference like it was yesterday: officials telling us to “think weeks, not days” before power would be restored.

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It was hard to imagine at the time, but crews from across the country, along with the Maine National Guard and even Canadian Forces in Quebec, worked tirelessly to restore essential services.

Billions in Damage

By the time the ice finally melted and roads cleared, the damage was staggering. 5 to 7 billion dollars in destruction, countless homes and businesses affected, and an entire community that had lived through frozen chaos.

But it was also a time that showed resilience, neighbors helping neighbors, and communities coming together in ways you don’t always see.

Even now, I look back and remember the eerie beauty of that ice-covered world—and the sheer determination it took to get through it.