Beware of melting and sliding ice floes as temperatures rise

As North Texas begins to thaw again after a severe freeze, we are reminded of the dangers associated with melting ice sheets.

A video posted by a viewer in 2013 (linked below) served as a stark reminder then to beware of falling ice, and it is once again relevant today as temperatures rise above freezing and the ice begins to melt.

As temperatures rise, heavy layers of ice can shift and slide off rooftops. In a photo shared by Loro in Old East Dallas, sheets of ice are seen slowly sliding off the metal roof of a restaurant – the ice moved so slowly that icicles formed on the tips of the sheets.

In many cases, ice falls harmlessly to the ground below. In other cases, such as from taller buildings, ice can suddenly slide off the roof and fall on cars and sidewalks, endangering those below.

To protect yourself and your vehicle, avoid parking under any shed or sloped roof where the ice can slip and fall. Also, be careful when walking near buildings, tall trees, or anywhere where ice can form overhead.

In a 2013 video from Nicole Jaime (inserted below), heavy sheets of ice hit a Jaguar, Corvette and a number of other vehicles, smashing windows and bringing down the roofs of vehicles outside the shops at Legacy in Plano.

NBC 5 viewers shared video of falling ice as North Texas began to melt on Sunday.

In 2011, ahead of Super Bowl XLV, Severin Sampson was badly injured when ice and snow fell on him from 200 feet at Cowboys Stadium. The weight of the ice cracked his skull, ruptured his eardrum, and left him with a head injury. In an exclusive interview with NBC 5 in 2012, Sampson said he saw “a big giant boulder and a big layer of ice behind the boulder” when he looked up and that he was falling too fast for him to get out of the way. . In total, in 2011, six people suffered from the icing of the stadium.