The results of a survey regarding the December ice storm have been published, detailing the experiences of 457 households in 36 North Carolina counties.
The survey, conducted by the Howard W. Odum Institute for Research in Social Science at UNC in conjunction with RTI International, found that 71 percent of all full- and part-time workers typically missed at least one full day of work because of the storm.
In addition, the survey found that the storm caused power outages in 78 percent of the households, loss of heat in 58 percent and loss of telephone service in 28 percent of the homes. Nineteen percent of homes were left without water.
"What I see the survey as doing is taking this large group of people and assessing what their experiences were collectively," said Paul Biemer, who directs survey research at the Odum Institute and RTI.
Because the survey was conducted at random throughout all the counties, Biemer said that he believed that the survey would present results depicting "a balanced view from all walks of life and an unbiased quantification of the storm."
In addition, the survey found that of the 71 percent of respondents who said they missed at least one day of work, most said they couldn't go because their office or place of business was closed. An additional 19 percent said that roads in their neighborhoods were blocked by downed trees or power lines.
The 36 counties ranged as far west as McDowell and Rutherford counties and as far east as Halifax and Edgecomb counties, but most were clustered along Interstate 85. The survey was conducted between Dec. 21 and Dec. 29 with a margin of error of 4.7 percent.
The survey found that 80 percent of the people in the surveyed households supported proposals to cut tree branches and growth away from power lines, and 47 percent were willing to pay extra on their monthly bills in order for power lines to be buried underground in their communities.
The survey also documented the amount of damages caused by the storm. Half of the houses without power reported spoiled food, with the average value of lost food at $100. About 14 percent of households reported an average of $400 worth of damages to their houses.
