Sioux Falls Froze with Icepocalypse 2013

On April 9, 2013, Sioux Falls weather took a turn for the nasty. The city became a beautiful but terrible post-apocalyptic scene.

Sioux Falls got slammed with nine inches of snow and sleet from a storm April 9 - 11, 2013. And that didn't include the ice accumulating on everything during the first part of the storm.

NWS: Event Total Snow & Sleet Reports for April 9-11, 2013

Heavy rains and an arctic blast created a nightmare for many in South Dakota. Everything was encased in thick ice resulting in snapped tree branches and streets looking like a crystal cathedral.

Freezing rain covered everything in ice, brought down trees and knocked out power. The sound of cracking and falling branches is etched in my memory.

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Ice, Wind, Snow, and Power Outages in Sioux Falls

Then we were dealing with the aftermath of the heavy hand of nature. Power lines were strained from the weight and linemen worked long hours without sleep to restore power.

It was estimated that 32,000 Xcel Energy customers were without power and the neighborhoods were filled with the hum of generators.

We were without power at our house for two nights. It was nowhere near as fun as that episode of Friends led me to believe a blackout would be.

RELATED: 8 of the Most Horrifying Natural Disasters to Hit South Dakota

Then-Mayor Mike Huether declared a state of emergency for the city, AKA OPERATION TIMBER STRIKE!

For the next few weeks, there was a constant parade of dump trucks hauling the broken remains of trees and structures to drop-off sites.

FLASHBACK: The Sioux Falls Tornadoes of September 2019

Yet, Sioux Falls, South Dakota rebounded from Icepocalypse 2013 stronger than before.

I have to say that the City of Sioux Falls did a bang-up job getting the city cleaned up after the storm littered our yards and streets with broken tree branches.