April ice storm wreaks havoc
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Old Man Winter still had some bite in him after all.
Norfolk County was one of many Ontario communities hit by a mid-April ice storm this past weekend. A steady mixture of snow, freezing rain, and high winds left hundreds without power, trees uprooted and most making a conscious decision to stay indoors.
Environment Canada data indicated 33.9 millimetres of precipitation fell on the area Sunday, the most we’ve had on April 16 in the last two decades. The Long Point Region Conservation Authority (LPRCA) estimates between 60-70 millimetres of precipitation fell over Saturday and Sunday.
“We had a number of trees down across the county over the course of the weekend,” said Shawn Vanacker, Norfolk’s manager of roads said Monday morning. “In addition to trees down, there were also limbs down and whatnot. We did have to close several roads while Hydro One was busy doing their work reconnecting power lines, but for the most part all roads are open at this point.”
One of the roads hit hardest was the Long Point Causeway.
“The Causeway did receive some damage as a result of some large trees adjacent to the road that had either blown over or had come over as a result of the ice accumulation on them,” said Vanacker. “When they did fall over the roots pulled up some of the asphalt/pavement. Staff have since patched those areas and the road is drivable.”
The OPP West Region reported 312 vehicle collisions, just 15 of those took place in Norfolk. Norfolk OPP Const. Ed Sanchuk said the majority of those incidents were related to speeding.
“I understand it’s April but we live in Canada, we’re used to winter weather conditions and it just seems that people forgot how to drive in (those) conditions,” Sanchuk said. “We just need people to simply slow down, reduce their speed and they’ll eventually arrive at their destination.”
And while rain and above freezing temperatures would wash away much of the snow on Monday, Norfolk County residents were being urged to stay cautious.
All schools were closed in Norfolk and Haldimand on Monday as residents continued to deal with the storm’s aftermath.
The LPRCA predicted another 10mm of precipitation for Monday and issued a flood watch for all watercourses and the Lake Erie shoreline that will stretch into Wednesday afternoon.
The Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry predicted Lake Erie water levels to rise to 1.53 metres in Long Point.
“People are warned to stay away from ditches, streams, rivers, frozen water bodies, and ponds as a combination of slippery banks and cold, fast-flowing water is dangerous,” the LPRCA release said. “People are also urged to use caution or stay away from the Lake Erie shoreline areas experiencing strong wave action and elevated water levels. Parents are reminded to keep children and pets away from all of these areas.”
Following one of the wildest winters in recent memory, there appears to be some good news on the horizon. Environment Canada is forecasting a high temperature of 8-degrees Celsius and a mix of sun and cloud beginning Wednesday. Rain will once again fall Thursday but forecast for Friday through Sunday looks to be sunny with temperatures ranging from 8-10C.
jrobinson@postmedia.com