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Original Message
"Ontario Ice Storm 2013"

Posted by byoffer on 12-23-13 at 10:32 PM
Ontario (and particularly Toronto) got hit by an ice storm. Lots and lots of freezing rain, and all that ice has done a lot of damage - trees and branches down, wires down, power outages, and lots of travel constraints (flights, public transit, etc). There is still about 200,000 people without power (not almost 2 days for some) and temperatures are dropping. Add to that lineups at gas stations, and grocery stores that have to throw out all their meat and dairy (and more) because the power has been out.

They are saying that it could be a couple of days before all the power is restored, and temperatures are supposed to really drop (to about -17C, which is about 0F). Many of us have natural gas heating our houses, but even those furnaces need electricity to make the fans run. So no heat for most without electricity. brrr.

I am lucky to have power (it was out for a bunch of hours yesterday) but both my parents and my in-laws are without power (but both not willing to leave their houses).

Here is a link to some pictures>.

My thoughts go out to Bullzeye, Mclown, and any other peeps who might be affected.


Table of contents

Messages in this discussion
"I Remember Living"
Posted by foonermints on 12-23-13 at 10:49 PM
In Montana. Ice ripped the power lines down for miles. We were set up with wood heat, so no terror.
Then again, it was in my younger "savage" days.
I liked Northern Vigor's comment:
"Be careful...I predict a baby boom in the end of September"

"RE: Ontario Ice Storm 2013"
Posted by Starshine on 12-24-13 at 07:46 AM
I think we got the remnants of it yesterday, 90 mile an hour winds and over 2 inches of rain, not fun, but I'm sure you would have happily swapped.

Keep warm Canadians, and hopefully the power will be back before you celebrate Christmas, if not sounds like you will be having a full house!


"RE: Ontario Ice Storm 2013"
Posted by Estee on 12-24-13 at 08:02 AM
Sean Hannity wants you to know this is your nation's punishment for socialism. But don't worry: just charge any wounded $100,000 for their hospital visit and the thaw will set in by noon.

"RE: Ontario Ice Storm 2013"
Posted by kingfish on 12-24-13 at 09:38 AM
Stay warm, B. and all those affected.

One irritation about widespread power outages is that the gas stations are also out of power, and your ability to just gas up and leave is not there.


"RE: Ontario Ice Storm 2013"
Posted by PepeLePew13 on 12-24-13 at 09:43 AM
LAST EDITED ON 12-24-13 AT 09:59 AM (EST)

http://community.realitytvworld.com/boards/DCForumID82/3504.shtml#20

We're still without power this morning and we're being advised to plan for up to another 48-72 hours. My sister just got her power back on last night while my brother is still out. We're on a street with 200-year-old trees with plenty of pieces scattered all over the street and there are wires down on the street entangled in some branches, which is why it is still out in our area. Shopping mall across the street and the two gas stations at the near main intersection are all also still out. No heat, but good thing that we've got plenty of firewood in the shed, so I was able to bring in three wheelbarrows worth of wood to feed the fire so we could stay warm and just hang out in the living room.

We had already started thawing out the 25-lb turkey before the storm hit; it's now garbage, having passed the 48 hour acceptable threshold for being stored in a fridge without power.

This is going to be an interesting Christmas. We're going to head up to my uncle and aunt's place up north instead of having it at our place as has been the usual family tradition. Looks like we'll be having Chinese food.

I took plenty of pictures of our street, so will post them when I get a chance after everything is back to normal.


"RE: Ontario Ice Storm 2013"
Posted by PepeLePew13 on 12-24-13 at 12:29 PM
POWERRRR BACK ON!

"That's Good"
Posted by foonermints on 12-24-13 at 01:48 PM
But it's a tragedy about the turkey!


"All is not lost!"
Posted by PepeLePew13 on 12-25-13 at 01:56 PM
We're now all set for Christmas dinner:


"Excellent!"
Posted by foonermints on 12-25-13 at 02:25 PM
With enough wine you won't immediately notice the difference.

However later, you might recall Christmas dinner 2013 as being "One Tough Old Bird".


"Blackout on again..."
Posted by PepeLePew13 on 12-24-13 at 11:40 PM
Well, it was nice having power for about 8 hours. We're back into a blackout again.

We did leave carrots and munchies outside for the reindeer so hopefully Santa can still find the house.


"Hopefully it's just"
Posted by IceCat on 12-25-13 at 00:59 AM
... one of those temporary maintenance outages while they are working to restore service.

"RE: Hopefully it's just"
Posted by PepeLePew13 on 12-25-13 at 01:15 AM
You're probably correct - it was out for 30 minutes before the power came back on.

Doesn't do much for the mind, though. We went through the stocking stuffing in record time and set aside all of the emergency supplies by each bed in case we wake up during the night to find everything pitch black again.

Pippy's more worried about Santa missing the house altogether than about the fact we just had a short blackout on a night when the temps are at -16 with a wind chill of -25 at the moment.


"RE: Hopefully it's just"
Posted by Snidget on 12-25-13 at 02:38 PM
A kid has to have their priorities!

"Oh no!"
Posted by moonbaby on 12-24-13 at 11:41 AM
You all be careful and please try to keep warm! Hope everyone has power restored super FAST!

"If I had gone home"
Posted by IceCat on 12-24-13 at 11:52 AM

... when I had planned, I would now be stuck somewhere between Kingston, ON and Vancouver, BC.

So, things work out in their own mysterious ways.


"RE: Ontario Ice Storm 2013"
Posted by jbug on 12-24-13 at 06:16 PM
snuggle snuggle snuggle!

Some day power companies may figure out a way to put all those lines underground!



"RE: Ontario Ice Storm 2013"
Posted by Puffy on 12-24-13 at 10:05 PM
Be careful out there!

*looks at thermometer* 75 degrees F.



I waddle for Agman


"RE: Ontario Ice Storm 2013"
Posted by foonermints on 12-24-13 at 10:48 PM
82°

"Pictures"
Posted by PepeLePew13 on 12-25-13 at 02:58 PM
Here's a few pics from around the house:


Some hawthorn berries nicely coated in ice



Neighbour directly across the street lost almost every single branch from his tree. Tree also took down two wires (one of which has the yellow police tape attached to it that you see in the pic), they are still down at the moment and one is dangling about 10 feet above the street.



Tree damage.


"Christmas day update"
Posted by byoffer on 12-25-13 at 03:14 PM
Thankfully we still have our power, and even more so that both my parents and in-laws had their power restored yesterday morning. Dad said he was just about to start figuring out how to drain the pipes, since the house temperature was getting down to low single digits (a few degrees above freezing). They must have spent a very cold night in the house, but wouldn't leave despite several offers.

I know that all is not restored today (Christmas) as I can hear generators running, and last night we did see dark houses (and close to our house). This morning I took the following picture on my street:

This couple were sitting out on their front lawn - in the newly falling snow - very bundled up and in front of an outdoor fireplace. brrr. Certainly a memorable Christmas for them!

As if the ice wasn't bad enough (and it has stayed cold, so no thawing) now it is snowing pretty hard. My guess is the driving will not be good.

Stay safe out there my local peeps!


"We were lucky......"
Posted by bullzeye on 12-28-13 at 11:06 AM
...our power came back on after 48 hours. So many in the city not so luck with the outage for many now into Day 7. We have a gas stove and gas fireplace, so we were able to boil water for tea and coffee and the fireplace kept things "slightly" warm. My heart goes out to all those folks that are still suffering through this.