How recent extreme weather compares to 1998 Quebec ice storm

The large storm that struck Ontario and Quebec — leaving some Quebecers without power for more than a week — was large, but it was nothing compared to the infamous 1998 Quebec ice storm, industry professionals said.

Catastrophe Indices and Quantification Inc. (CatIQ) has declared the storm a Cat (more than $30 million in insured damages), Canadian Underwriter has learned.

Hydro-Quebec said Tuesday it had restored power to 99% of the 1.1 million customers who lost electricity after freezing rain sent tree branches crashing onto power lines, streets and cars across swaths of southern Quebec, according to the Canadian Press. A man in his 60s died after he was crushed by a tree branch while attempting to cut down branches on his property in Les Coteaux, southwest of Montreal.

The 1998 ice storm was much worse. It remains the fourth costliest Canadian catastrophic loss event at $2.83 billion.

“The 1998 ice storm was unparalleled — one of the largest natural disasters in modern day Canadian history,” Patricia Davis, national Cat manager with Crawford & Company (Canada) told CU. “It happened at the beginning of January; right in the middle of winter.

“It crippled eastern Ontario and Quebec for weeks and the aftermath was felt for months in some situations. Since that catastrophic event, we are better prepared with stronger infrastructure and emergency plans.”

A Hydro Quebec crew member works on restoring power following an ice storm, in the Montreal suburb of Beaconsfield, Que., Tuesday, April 11, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes

Glenn McGillivray, managing director of the Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction (ICLR), said the April 2023 storm was bad enough to take many limbs and trees down, “but in the scheme of things, it doesn’t appear to be an extremely severe event.

“Nothing like January 1998, when there was off-and-on freezing rain for five days,” McGillivray said. “Though for those who lived through the Great Ice Storm, I’m sure this brought back some bad memories and stress.”

Spatially, this was a fairly large storm in that it went from Texas, where it originated, to wide parts of southern Ontario and Quebec, McGillivray said.

“Essentially, a conveyor of warm, moist air filled with water moved northeast, dropping a lot of precipitation as it went,” he added. “The type of precipitation that fell — liquid or frozen — depended on where you lived.”

For example, in places like Toronto a lot of rain fell, while locations more North and East (where it was colder), saw a lot of freezing rain. Freezing rain is supercooled liquid rain that freezes on contact with a cold surface and shouldn’t be confused with snow or ice pellets, McGillivray added.

“We are very fortunate that early concerns about tornado risk didn’t come to pass,” he said. “We dodged yet another bullet.”

McGillivray said that in some areas, up to 60 mm of rain fell, which may translate into sewer backup losses. “Power outages could mean that sump pumps are not working, so we may see some basement flooding.”

Davis agreed, saying the ground is still not completely thawed in areas, coupled with leaves and debris blocking storm drains. “This contributes to accumulation of surface water and runoff,” she said. “With power outages, sump pumps are not able to work and basements subsequently sustaining water damage. The build up of ice is resulting in downed trees on properties; power [outages are] contributing to water losses.”

Davis called the event “an intense spring storm.” Severe thunder and lightning coupled with freezing rain for several hours in Quebec “caused additional havoc for those areas further north that still have snow on the ground.”

Six days after the storm, about 16,000 customers remained off the grid, mostly in the Montreal area. On Wednesday, one week after the storm, that number dipped below 3,000, Canadian Press reported.

Hydro-Quebec said the remaining work to restore power was “particularly complex.” Much of the damage is in private backyards, and sometimes the extent of the damage isn’t apparent, even after the repair, CP said.

Feature image: People survey the damage around their home in Montreal, Thursday, April 6, 2023 after an ice storm which left more than a million customers without power in the province. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ryan Remiorz