Winter’s fury pounds country, impacts wood industry

The death toll is still uncertain, as different outlets have reported different numbers. The Weather Channel has reported at least 12 deaths so far, while the New York Post is reporting 26 deaths, and ABC says 22 deaths. The causes for these deaths range from hypothermia to medical emergencies associated with clearing snow.

Meteorologists at AccuWeather say the winter storm is estimated to result in an economic loss of $105 billion to $115 billion. Approximately 14,000 flights were cancelled due to the ice, supply chains have disruptions due to the road conditions, and the freezing temperatures the rest of the week will not improve conditions. 

This “generational” storm, called storm Fern, lasted from early Saturday morning into Monday leaving approximately 800,000 residents and businesses without power. Tennessee, Mississippi, and Louisiana saw the majority of power outages, with nearly 515,000 residents reporting through the weekend. As of Monday evening, a total of 750,000 across nine states have reported these widespread outages. Ice made the roads undriveable, with many state governors urging people to stay off the roads unless it was an emergency.

Woodworking and manufacturing businesses saw operation interruptions across the storm’s path due to inclement weather and road conditions. Häfele America in Archdale, North Carolina, announced limited operations to begin the week due to the wintery conditions.

“We are still working diligently to mitigate any impact to our customers and appreciate your patience at this time,” the announcement said. “Additional updates as they come available will be posted on our social media pages as well.”

The snow accumulation and icy conditions forced businesses across numerous states to close for at least a day, including: 

•    C.R. Onsrud, based in Troutman, North Carolina, closed the factory on Monday due to the inclement weather. Operations are set to continue as soon as the weather allows. For emergency tech support, visit cronsrud.com/contact-us.
•    Koetter Woodworking, a building materials supplier in Clark County, Indiana, announced on social media that they would be closed on Monday and would reopen Tuesday.
•    Woodcraft in Cleveland, Ohio, closed their doors on Sunday before the storm hit in preparation. The location was also closed on Monday. 
•    Cabinet & Design Gallery, Tennessee, closed on Monday due to low temperatures and road conditions. 

Weather conditions will not improve the snow on the ground, however. The forecast calls for below-freezing for the rest of the week for many of the mid-Atlantic and east coast states.

As much of the country digs out from the snow, ice, wind and freezing temperatures, Woodworking Network has reposted a Wood Dr. story on how shops should handle the cold. How have you, your shop, employees, and even competing colleagues, been impacted by this “generational weather?”