Winter’s Deadly Threat: 10 Hidden Danger of Giant Icicles

On cold days, you can often see icicles hanging from rooftops or boiler chimneys. As children, we frequently enjoyed playing with these thick icicles, breaking them, and using them as toys. However, since icicles are usually large with sharp edges, they can be turned into dangerous weapons. Although they may seem harmless as simple frozen water, they can cause fatal injuries with their weight if they fall and hit someone. Therefore, it’s very important to be careful when walking under buildings or apartment exteriors during the winter.

How are icicles formed?

Icicles are one of the natural phenomena often observed in winter. They appear in the form of frozen droplets and are a special phenomenon that allows us to feel the beauty and mystery of nature. When the air is sufficiently cold and if the water or other surfaces near it come into contact with it, the vapor shifts to a solid state on the surface, and the icicles form when these solid particles combine.

Icicles: A Threat to Safety

The icicles hanging above our heads are becoming a safety hazard. Giant icicles hanging from apartment buildings or other structures have become a nuisance threatening public safety. Therefore, Pedestrians need to be aware that large icicles hanging precariously can cause serious injuries when they fall.

High Possibility of Accidents from Falling Icicles

Icicles, formed when accumulated snow melts into water and refreezes, get bigger and hardened over time. Also, they are often located in high places, making them difficult to remove and highly likely to cause accidents when they fall. A 2.2-pound icicle hanging at a height of 33 feet can generate an impact force of about 1 ton when it hits the ground.

Mainly occur from Late November to Early March

Icicles, formed due to cold weather, fall even in winter when they melt to the rising daytime temperature. Therefore, icicle-related accidents typically occur between November and March and can be destructive. Icicles can also be formed when water leaks due to frozen pipes during a cold wave.

Icicles Can Also Formed Underwater

Did you know that icicles can also be formed underwater? Sea water usually contains impurities like bacteria and tiny particles, so it doesn’t freeze as easily as pure liquid. However, there is a time when the sea freezes due to cold weather, and at this moment, only the water particles freeze, and the salt is expelled. The salt that doesn’t freeze gets highly concentrated and sinks into the water. The sinking of this icy salt rapidly cools the seawater, and when it reaches the bottom, it instantly forms an ice pillar.

Numerous Occurrences of Critical Accidents overseas as Well

In Russia, dozens of people die each year due to falling icicles in winter. Even with snow removal efforts, the situation is often insufficient when unprecedented heavy rain and severe cold hit. There have been cases where people have died from icicles falling from 7th-floor balconies, and there was also an incident where a 2-year-old child suffered severe head injuries from an icicle that fell on the stroller.

Not Only Casualty But Severe Property Damage As Well

When icicles fall from high places, they can cause severe property damage and personal injury.  tting someone’s head can cause skull fractures and cerebral hemorrhage and can even be fatal If they hit the back of the head. Also, if they fall onto a vehicle, they can damage or injure the people inside.

Who is Responsible for Getting Injured by an Icicle?

Fatal accidents of fall of icicles occur frequently, but who should be held responsible for these accidents? After an incident of losing a family member by an icicle dropping from an apartment building in 2013, the court ordered the family of the deceased to be compensated in a lawsuit against the apartment management and the parties concerned. The rationale for such a result is that the apartment in which the icicle fell was unsold and legally owned by the Korea Land & Housing Corporation. The management failed to install warning signs or other measures to alert them of the danger despite their duty to manage and supervise the maintenance of the apartment building.

Can’t We Prevent Large Icicle Accidents?

We should always look up and check to avoid icicle accidents, but this is not easy. To prevent icicle-related accidents, you need to check for any leaks in the pipes, such as the rain gutters on the roof of the building, and regularly check the exterior. When it snows, you should immediately remove the snow, and if you are leaving the house for a longer period, you should insulate the water meter and pipe. If icicles have already formed, it’s a good idea to install warning signs or control lines around the building in advance.

Don’t Try to Remove Them Yourself

Tiny icicles hanging from eaves or balconies can be easily removed by hand, but it’s difficult to remove large icicles from building exteriors or boiler chimneys. Such an attempt can lead to injuries like falling from a ladder or falling of icicle fragments. If you need to remove large icicles, it’s best to report them to 911 and get professional help.

Shin Young Jeon