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Crazy Photo Of A Traffic Light Explains Why 500,000 People Lost Power This Week

Alex DaviesFeb 14, 2014, 02:12 IST

The snowstorm that has spent the past day and a half barreling up the East Coast didn't spare Orangeburg, South Carolina, where a significant a buildup of ice brought this traffic light nearly to the ground:

WLTX Video Screenshot

The image, from video shot by local news station WLTX, is a perfect example of why ice causes so much trouble. Its extra weight makes power lines and tree branches more likely to fall - part of the reason 500,000 people around the Southeast lost power during the storm, according to NBC.