Chances are pretty good you have no idea where Slovenia is. I probably wouldn’t either, if I hadn’t been sent there more than a decade ago as a volunteer missionary.
Nestled between Italy, Austria, and Hungary cuddled up under the Alps, and just kissing the Adriatic Sea, Slovenia is quite possibly the prettiest little place on the planet. Similar to the climate of my native Pacific Northwest, Slovenia’s weather is typically mild. I remember a moderately snowy winter and a slightly humid summer—but I don’t remember anything like what the former Yugoslav republic is experiencing right now.
According to
Reuters, heavy ice is responsible for Slovenia’s “worst devastation in living memory.” Back-to-back blizzards and dramatic temperature changes have created a layer of ice heavy enough to bring down utility towers and strong enough to seal cars under its thick casing. No deaths have been reported, but Slovenia’s infrastructure—including everything from public transit to ATMs—is, well, frozen. Flip through this
amazing gallery of western Slovenia, completely encased in ice.
When we think about winter preparations, we spend a lot of effort protecting ourselves from the dangers of snow and cold. But we shouldn’t forget the havoc that half a day of above-freezing temps can wreak in the midst of blizzard season—even in the US. Here are a few other examples of the damage ice has caused here in
Indiana and
Texas. Check those out, and then read up on
winterizing your home.
--Stacey
Photo Courtesy of Business Insider
