The people of Eastern Canada and some New England states had mixed feelings about the coming of spring in 1998.
The most costly natural disaster in Canadian history began in early January 1998. For a period that seemed endless, freezing rain and dark gray skies dominated the scene. Broken trees, and fallen power lines and towers caused massive power outages. In the darkness of night, the sounds of snapping trees were unnerving. There existed a feeling of doom.
Help Arrived During the January 1998 Ice Storm
Almost 300 communities in Ontario and Quebec declared disaster situations. On January 8, declaring a state of emergency, the Canadian Government called on the military to provide assistance. More than 14,000 troops, including reservists, were deployed in the largest-ever peacetime action. Another 6,200 Canadian Forces and Department of National Defence staff provided logistical support. Military personnel provided help with these and many other tasks:
- Removal of fallen trees and poles
- Technical and logistical community support
- Assistance at short-staffed nursing homes
- Provision of extra ambulances
- Pick up and delivery of fuel, food, bottled water, and firewood
- Replacement of fallen and broken hydro and telephone poles
- Hand milking of farmers' dairy cows
- Meticulous house-to-house checking of residents' situations
Welcome Spring Thaw after the 1998 Ice Storm
When services were restored, the possibility of making it through the remaining months of winter seemed likely. The people within the huge area welcomed the spring thaw with more enthusiasm and trepidation than ever before. There would be damage to buildings that needed fixing. The big question for many concerned the damage to their trees and shrubs. They could only guess how many were beyond saving. Maple syrup producers discovered large-scale damage to trees and sap lines. Recovery would be slow.
Welcome Spring Thaw and Cleaning Up
People within a small rural community worked together to assist neighbours whose yards were piled high with fallen limbs and trees. In one such yard there was enough brush to fill a dump truck four times. A large portion of the brush was piled into the nearby woods where it would naturally break down. The heavier, larger pieces were saved for use as firewood.
Seven people worked for many hours, cutting and hauling the branches. There was an ongoing discussion of the damage and its lasting effect. One beautiful old maple tree seemed to be threatened because several of its main branches were broken and split. It was a situation where people would just have to wait and see nature’s healing powers.
Welcome Spring Thaw and Hopeful Signs
A large cedar tree that had the look of antiquity about it, was bent under the burden of ice. It had been the children’s favourite tree. They had climbed onto the lower branches to hide or just observe the world around them. It was solidly frozen to the side of the house for several weeks after the storm abated. The trunk was split. With completion of major trimming, there was hope that the tree would recover.
Spring Clean-up and Aftermath of 1998 Ice Storm
The remaining debris in gardens and lawns was cleared up over time. There were trees with broken branches hanging in v-style from lower branches. Strong winds would bring some down, but many remained for months, years.
The old maple tree survived and flourished with a new profile. The ‘antique’ cedar slowly went back to its former shape. Two years later it received another deep injury during a small ice storm. Severe cutting was necessary. It survived, but was merely a shadow of its former self.
White birch trees, bowed by the weight of the ice and snow, did not fully recover. Instead, they remained bent in testimony to the fierceness of the 1998 ice storm.
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