*Storm*

The first winter storm of the season came roaring in like bull, turning the skies to a grey darkness and added a terribly chill to the air. Winds whipped up as winter lightning arched high in the swirling, ominous dark clouds that billowed in from the northwest. It wasn't long before the rain was unleashed, falling from the heavens and freezing almost instantly.

A coat of ice almost an inch thick covered every exposed serface within the first hour of the torment's arrival. The strain of the ice and the high-force winds quickly brought down trees and powerlines alike, and stopped all humans in their tracks. Vehicles were frozen solid to the ground, and those in garages couldn't find traction on the slick roads, and so they weren't even brought out.

The second phase of the storm hit as the temperatures continued to plummet. Snow swirled thick from the sky, casting the land in a blanket of white, so thick that it was nearly impossible to see more than a few feet ahead. The following hour brought over a foot of snow, and still the storm raged. Trees soon gave in to the tremendous weight and wind. Branches groaned and cracked, and many roofs caved in. With so many trees in the zoo, it was inevitable that almost every fence sustained some sort of damage. Even the perimeter of the Zoo could not withstand the fury of nature.

In the wake of the tempest, the zoo was virtually at a standstill. Without power, the humans could do little. In the darkness of the night, it would be simple for the animals to cross the fallen fences and make thier way into the wild lands.