After springlike weather this past week, it looks like we’re in for another storm. At 11:17am, The Weather Network issued a freezing rain warning saying that Cornwall is expected to get 3 to 7 mm of ice accumulation starting Wednesday evening through early Thursday morning.
Ironically, this warning comes on the 25th anniversary of the infamous Ice Storm of 1998. The storm of ’98 is considered one of the largest natural disasters in North America.
According to the Canadian Encyclopedia:
“Between 4 and 10 January 1998, sections of the St. Lawrence Valley from Kingston to Québec’s Eastern Townships received up to 100 mm of ice pellets and freezing rain — more than double the icy precipitation normally received in those areas in a whole year. The storm claimed as many as 35 lives, injured 945, and resulted in the temporary displacement of 600,000 people. Several roads were shut down and massive power outages occurred, cutting off electricity for nearly 1.4 million customers in Québec and over 230,000 in eastern Ontario. The total financial cost of the storm is estimated at $5.4 billion.”
The Ice Storm of ’98 was also significant because it was the largest peacetime deployment of troops in Canadian history. Over 15,000 military personnel were deployed during the emergency to provide shelter, medical care, and help restoring power to those affected by the storm.
It is interesting to note that despite icy weather and power outages, Seaway News did not miss a single edition during the storm.
