Watch: Seattle Ice Storm Cripples City, Cars and People Slide Down Hills
A massive winter storm plagued America’s Northwest last week, and Seattle took an especially hard hit.
The storm battered the area with freezing rain that turned “Emerald City” into what seemed like the world’s largest and most dangerous ice skating rink. Conditions quickly turned scary and dangerous for many.
Numerous videos emerged across social media showing the chaos that ensued, with Seattleites realizing the condition in which the dangerous winter storm left their city. Vehicles and people were caught on video sliding down hills.
#WinterStorm2022 #icestorm #seattleicestorm pic.twitter.com/9mwbHmwC4x
— Crazy Goat 🐐 (@SThemarket) December 24, 2022
Vehicles across the city could be seen losing traction when the roads froze over. Many vehicles began sliding down the hills in hilly residential areas and bumping into mailboxes and other cars along the way.
Some of the videos posted to Twitter also show people sliding down the sidewalks, though some of them seem to be doing it for the camera to demonstrate how difficult it was to walk on the slippery paths.
Footage of an Ice Storm in #Seattle #USA #BlackIce #seattleicestorm pic.twitter.com/NXgjMfXBZ7
— 𝓕𝓵𝓪𝓷 𝓫𝓲𝓷 𝓕𝓵𝓪𝓷 (@realflanbinflan) December 25, 2022
Moreover, other videos appeared to show close encounters between pedestrians and vehicles that had lost control due to the extra icy conditions. One video uploaded by Seattle reporter Deedee Sun shows a pedestrian narrowly avoiding being hit by an out-of-control vehicle.
“Holy moly!!! One crash after another. This is near Seattle’s Judkin’s Park. Pedestrian almost gets hit too! @nwpromo on youtube took this video & tells me no one was hurt. But it is STILL very icy out there. Stay home if you can!!!” Sun tweeted.
😱😱😱 Holy moly!!! One crash after another. This is near Seattle’s Judkin’s Park. Pedestrian almost gets hit too! @nwpromo on youtube took this video & tells me no one was hurt.
But it is STILL very icy out there. Stay home if you can!!! #wawx #ice @KIRO7Seattle pic.twitter.com/bgTKTqGC7k
— Deedee Sun (@DeedeeKIRO7) December 24, 2022
Another Twitter user added humor to the situation, captioning a video of a resident using skis on the road with, “Commuting in #seattle today.”
Commuting in #seattle today#WinterStorm #WinterStormElliott #seattleweather #seattleicestorm #seatac #Seattle 🥶❄️☃️⛷ pic.twitter.com/eEoanTGCVz
— Yoko ✈️ (@flyingYoko) December 24, 2022
According to Business Insider, many Seattle ice storm videos went viral on TikTok. Some users uploaded compilations of the wildest moments of the storm, which initially appeared in TikTok videos.
Ice storm in #Seattle#seattleicestorm pic.twitter.com/jztl5Xq0BD
— Oʂɯαʅԃσ Rσყҽƚƚ (@oswaldosrm) December 26, 2022
One Twitter user posted a bizarre video showing his driver’s side window completely iced over. The person punched the ice out of the window, which looked similar to breaking the glass.
#seattleicestorm #wawx pic.twitter.com/cH6BP7OFRM
— Tim‼️ 🇺🇦 (@timothyharding) December 23, 2022
Business Insider noted that the historic and rare ice storm caused Seattle’s bus service to come to a complete stop — the first time since 1996. Seattle-Tacoma International Airport reportedly closed all three of its runways, an action described as “unprecedented.”
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