Although most of South Carolina was spared from tree damage caused by ice from Winter Storm Fern Jan. 24 and 25, residents in the Upstate did experience some adverse impacts to their trees and forestland. In conducting aerial observation flights the Tuesday after the storm to assess the extent of those impacts to forestland, Forestry Commission personnel found very minimal damage as compared to that seen in previous ice storms, the worst of which in recent memory was in 2014. While some scattered and isolated impacts were observed, it is doubtful that any forestland will require a salvage harvest.
Meanwhile across the South, many of our sister agencies and the citizens they serve, particularly in Tennessee and Mississippi, weren’t as fortunate. Both states sustained significant, widespread tree damage due to heavy ice accretion. Ice accumulation ranging from 0.35–0.50 inches in some areas caused major tree breakage. Numerous trees and limbs snapped under the weight, in turn causing widespread power outages and dangerous conditions.
“We definitely dodged a bullet,” said Director of Communications Doug Wood. “In no way minimizing the negative impacts that some of our Upstate residents experienced with the weather, isolated tree damage and power outages, the agency was definitely prepared for much worse.”
2014 ice storm
The severe winter storm that occurred in February 2014 had a major impact on South Carolina’s forests, resulting in direct damage estimated at $360 million on more than 1.5 million acres across 24 counties. Only Hurricane Hugo caused more damage at $1.2 billion. Based on the storm damage assessment conducted then, it was projected that approximately 30,000 acres would need to be salvaged and reforested.
The Forestry Commission, with invaluable support of forestry partners, also played a lead role in responding to that natural disaster, everything from assisting with debris removal and conducting the damage survey to the ongoing assistance it provided to forest landowners who dealth with reforestation of their destroyed timber stands.