Ear to the Ground - Spring 2015 - (Page 21)
FEATURE
B Y B R A N D O N S M I T H , I N S P E C T I O N S & L O C AT E S , P O W E R S T R E A M I N C .
Ice Storm 2013:
We Have the Power
to Survive
W
elcome to the Great White
North. Best-selling author,
John Steinbeck, once wrote,
"What good is the warmth of summer, without the cold of winter to give
it sweetness." Here in Canada, we
are used to the extremely cold and
sometimes unforgiving winter. We are
teased by other nations worldwide for
the stereotypical belief that we, as
Canadians, live in igloos and tough
out each winter around large bonfires
keeping each other warm. As humorous
as this Canadian stereotype is, it may
occasionally hold a small bit of truth.
On December 21, 2013, a heavy
downpour of rain hit Southern
Ontario. From as far west as Sarnia,
through the Greater Toronto Area, following the northern shores of Lake
Ontario to east of Brockville, 40mm
of rain fell in a 24-hour period. The
rain quickly transformed into ice that
evening as the temperature dropped.
In the morning, the downpour and
sudden freeze gave many plants a
surreal look of icy beauty. Although
fascinating to the eye, this sudden
freeze was soon to become a major
concern to many people.
As a thick layer of ice formed on vegetation and overhead wires, which drastically increased their size and weight in
a small period of time. The combination
of ice and strong winds was too much
for many tree branches, causing them to
break and damage the overhead system.
This resulted in mass power outages
SPRING 15
across Southern Ontario. At one point,
more than two million people were
without electricity - some for hours,
others for days.
The arrival of the storm was not a
complete surprise, as Hydro System
Control throughout Southern Ontario
began tracking the storm prior to its
arrival. News release distribution and
other related media messages were
initiated to inform the public about
how to prepare for power outages.
Customer service staff, field staff and
contractors, locally and from neighbouring provinces and the USA, were
on standby to support system control,
many of whom sacrificed their holiday
vacations. All staff was aware of the
serious potential for mass power outages and everyone was preparing for
the worst. The storm hit, power was
lost, and it was time for everyone to
take action.
Not only were the electrical utilities
across Southern Ontario faced with the
problem of restoring power as safely
and quickly as possible, but this event
also affected many of the other utilities. Telecommunication lines were torn
down due to falling branches. Gas utilities were concerned about the effects on
their system caused by a sudden drop
21
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Ear to the Ground - Spring 2015
President's Message
2015 Dig Safe Symposium Awards
Damage Prevention and Innovation
High Pressure Transmission Pipeline Safety
Delivery of Locates in Ontario
ORCGA's Damage Prevention Technician, DPT Program
Ice Storm 2013: We Have the Power to Survive
Our Industry is Constantly Changing
Index of Advertisers
Ear to the Ground - Spring 2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/naylor/RGCB/RGCB0119
https://www.nxtbook.com/naylor/RGCB/RGCB0218
https://www.nxtbook.com/naylor/RGCB/RGCB0118
https://www.nxtbook.com/naylor/RGCB/RGCB0217
https://www.nxtbook.com/naylor/RGCB/RGCB0117
https://www.nxtbook.com/naylor/RGCB/RGCB0216
https://www.nxtbook.com/naylor/RGCB/RGCB0116
https://www.nxtbook.com/naylor/RGCB/RGCB0215
https://www.nxtbook.com/naylor/RGCB/RGCB0115
https://www.nxtbook.com/naylor/RGCB/RGCB0214
https://www.nxtbook.com/naylor/RGCB/RGCB0114
https://www.nxtbook.com/naylor/RGCB/RGCB0213
https://www.nxtbook.com/naylor/RGCB/RGCB0113
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/naylor/RGCB0212
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/naylor/RGCB0112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/naylor/RGCB0211
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/naylor/RGCB0111
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/naylor/RGCB0210
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/naylor/RGCB0110
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/naylor/RGCB0209
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/naylor/RGCB0109
https://www.nxtbookmedia.com