Tuesday marks 10 years since Toronto’s devastating ice storm

Today marks a decade since the winter ice storm that left Toronto in the dark over the holidays.

The devastating storm began on Dec. 19, 2013, and dispersed on Dec. 23, 2013, but the impacts didn’t end there. The storm reached Ontario, Quebec, Atlantic Canada, Maine, New England, New York, Michigan and Arkansas.

Locally, the ice was so heavy it resulted in damaged hydro lines and trees weighing down onto roads and vehicles.

The 2013 ice storm comprised 40-plus hours of freezing rain and more than 30 millimetres of ice, leaving 416,000 customers without power, 500 wires down and two million trees damaged.

73,000 metres of service wire replaced during the 2013 ice storm

Toronto Hydro is looking back while also looking ahead. It says it’s made significant improvements to harden its electrical infrastructure, modernize its grid capabilities and ensure staff have the necessary training and tools to handle emergencies effectively.

“By factoring in climate projections for temperature, rainfall, wind and freezing rain, Toronto Hydro is able to identify and proactively find solutions for equipment and areas of the city that may be more vulnerable to climate change, such as aging infrastructure and overhead equipment that are close to the canopy of a tree,” a Toronto Hydro spokesperson said.

“This also allows the utility to increase the number of crews available, where needed, to respond more effectively to predicted weather events.”

During the 2013 ice storm, Toronto Hydro said 73,000 metres of service wire and 80,000 pieces of hardware had to be replaced.

The storm killed 27 people and cost $200 million.

There won’t be a repeat of what transpired on the weather front a decade ago. Toronto is expected a mix of sun and clouds for much of this week, with daytime highs hovering around the freezing mark.

Though subject to change, a white Christmas doesn’t appear in the cards this year. It’s forecasted to be 6 C by the weekend, with a slight chance of rain.