Capturing the Aftermath of a Historic Ice Storm in Fayetteville for the Associated Press

There are truly no words that can fully capture the devastation here in Fayetteville following last night’s massive ice storm. And trust me, if there were, I’d leave them to someone who enjoys writing more than I do! But as a photographer, I’m fortunate enough to use my camera to tell the story. This storm was unlike anything I’ve ever seen, and the destruction it caused is both surreal and heartbreaking.

The ice storm struck with incredible force, coating everything in a thick layer of ice that not only brought down power lines but also wreaked havoc on trees throughout the area. Yesterday afternoon, we stood outside and listened as trees across the neighborhood began to snap and fall under the immense weight of the ice. It was an eerie and unsettling experience—nature at its most powerful and unpredictable.

Today, I ventured out to capture the aftermath for the Associated Press, and the scenes I encountered were simply unbelievable. I’ve documented storms before, but nothing prepared me for the sheer magnitude of this one. I thought I’d share some of the photos here to give you a glimpse of what Fayetteville looks like in the wake of this extreme weather event.

The first image shows a car navigating down our street as the storm was still unfolding yesterday. You can see the ice already building up on the trees, but it’s nothing compared to what I saw today. The house you see in the next photo belongs to our neighbor. As of today, the tree on the right no longer has any limbs left—it’s a stark reminder of how quickly and drastically things can change in an ice storm.

One of the most haunting locations I visited was the arboretum on Old Main lawn. The usually serene landscape has been transformed into something out of a winter nightmare, with trees bending and breaking under the weight of the ice.

Over on Greg Street, the scene was even more chaotic—cars were driving on the wrong side of the road as ice-laden trees bent over both lanes of traffic, creating a surreal obstacle course.

One of the most striking images I captured was on Old Wire Road. An enormous tree had bent so low that drivers had to take turns passing underneath it, like something straight out of a storybook winter wonderland. Except this wasn’t a fantasy—it was a dangerous reality for anyone out on the roads.

In the historic district, I caught a shot of a man clearing debris from his yard, surrounded by a tangle of broken branches. You can barely even see his house amidst the fallen limbs, which just goes to show the extent of the damage. And near Wilson Park, I photographed a massive branch stuck on top of a utility pole, dwarfing the people nearby. The scale of the destruction is hard to wrap your head around.

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The entire city is grappling with the aftermath of this storm, and the cleanup will no doubt take time. But for now, I’m grateful to have had the opportunity to capture these moments, documenting how quickly and unexpectedly nature can change the landscape. It’s a reminder of the power and beauty of photography—to tell stories when words alone aren’t enough.