T-R PHOTO BY LANA BRADSTREAM - Ice forms on branches of a Marshalltown tree on Saturday. The National Weather Service had Marshall County and surrounding areas in an ice storm warning from Friday night until Saturday night.

Marshalltown residents were prepared for the predicted ice storm which struck late Friday evening and lasted until Saturday night. Fortunately, it was not as bad as expected.

Marshall County Emergency Management Coordinator Kim Elder said the amount of accumulated ice varied throughout the county.

“It was close to what they said,” she said. “I am guessing [an average] of one-quarter of an inch.”

Despite precautions taken by residents, some drivers still went off the road, Elder said.

“We had quite a few cars in ditches,” she said. “It was not quite as warm as I was hoping in Marshall County, but many people stayed in because of the freezing warning.”

Marshall County Sheriff Joel Phillips said his deputies responded to seven accidents with property damage, two with minor injuries and four in which drivers went off the road but there was no reportable damage.

Thanks to treatments prior to the weather, most of the main roads in the county were not as bad for traveling. County employees managed to place brine, a mix of salt and water solution, to the main roads. Elder said it was primarily the secondary roads which caused some problems.

The predicted 20 mph wind did not hit, so Elder said there were no reported power outages. However, in Tama County, 56 Grundy County Rural Electric Cooperative and 14 T.I.P. Rural Electric Cooperative customers were without power on Sunday afternoon. Thirteen T.I.P. customers in Poweshiek County were also without power.

Elder said there is no incoming bad weather she is expecting soon.

“I’m sure we will get our share of winter weather,” she said. “We just got a taste of it.”

To prepare for future ice storms, Marshall County residents should weatherize their homes by sealing cracks and insulating pipes to prevent freezing. Make sure there is a stockpile of water, non-perishable food, battery-powered flashlight and radio and a first aid kit in the house and in vehicles.

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Contact Lana Bradstream at 641-753-6611 ext. 210 or lbradstream@timesrepublican.com.