Even after the storm, lines may break as they react to the sudden change in their load when the ice falls from them. Vibrations, often violent, may occur as the ice falls, sapping weak points in the line under the added strain. Freezing rain, however, affects more than just human technology. Damage to trees by ice rivals disease and insects as destructive agents. Like power cables, tree branches and trunks collect ice in vast quantities.
Deciduous trees exhibit a wide range of vulnerability to ice.
Elms and fruit trees are among the most vulnerable while oak and beech are among the most tolerant of ice loading. In general, younger deciduous trees are better able to survive than older ones due to their more supple nature and limited branching. Icing damages plants by sealing leaves, stems and buds from the air, thereby suffocating parts of the plant. Similarly, ice sheets forming over snow surfaces, should they persist, may suffocate or poison overwintering species such as winter wheat. Animals active in the winter must also cope with the effects of an ice storm.