| Comments | Southern Ontario, ON, December 21, 2013 to January 1, 2014. A severe storm brought freezing rain and damaging ice accumulation across a large area of southern Ontario. According to Environment Canada, the epicentre of the freezing rain was in southern Ontario along the north shore of Lake Ontario, including the Greater Toronto Area, where ice accumulation reached up to 30 mm. The impact of the ice storm on these municipalities and conservation authorities was further exacerbated by freezing temperatures. The ice storm had serious impacts. In its aftermath, as many as 830,000 hydro customers (2,490,000 individuals) across Southern Ontario were without power for several days. Downed trees, broken branches, and downed wires resulting from ice accumulation posed serious public health and safety risks, as well as transportation network problems. Due to widespread power outages and freezing temperatures, municipalities activated emergency plans to open warming centres and canvassed homes of vulnerable residents to ensure their safety. Power was restored to most residences and businesses by January 1, 2014.
Response and recovery activities began at the time of the event. The ice storm significantly impacted some of Canada’s largest and most densely populated urban municipalities. Municipalities, provincial ministries and non-governmental organizations such as the Red Cross all acted to respond to the ice storm. Ontario determined that the impacts of the storm were severe enough to warrant implementation of an Ice Storm Assistance Program to help municipalities and conservation authorities with emergency response and recovery costs. Two deaths were attributed to the storm due to carbon monoxide poisoning from improperly ventilated generators and heaters.
*Note: A request for federal assistance through the DFAA program has been made; however, no payments have yet been issued. |