Severe ice storms in Quebec (and I'm certain elsewhere in Canada) can result in power outages. We had an ice storm in Montreal this year that resulted in most of the island losing power for a week, others for longer [0]. The Great Ice Storm of 98 resulted in the greatest deployment of Canadian military personnell since the Korean war [1].
In cases where we get a heads up on big ice storm, it's prudent for my family to get some gasoline for the generator and stock up on batteries and whatever is missing before the roads become rinks. Charging power banks is a good idea, and making sure you have a battery/crank radio since the mobile networks get saturated quickly.
Ice storms are infrequent, but with the climate changing as it is, I've no doubt they'll be more frequent in the shoulder seasons.
Also, I feel the need to say this. It's not uncommon for some of the first casualties of ice storms in Quebec to be due to someone running their gas generator in their garage or under their car shelter. Please never use generators or camping stoves indoors.
EDIT: Getting a heads up is also a great opportunity to reach out to loved ones that belong to vulnerable populations (namely, the elderly). It's best to shelter together if you're able to.
In cases where we get a heads up on big ice storm, it's prudent for my family to get some gasoline for the generator and stock up on batteries and whatever is missing before the roads become rinks. Charging power banks is a good idea, and making sure you have a battery/crank radio since the mobile networks get saturated quickly.
Ice storms are infrequent, but with the climate changing as it is, I've no doubt they'll be more frequent in the shoulder seasons.
Also, I feel the need to say this. It's not uncommon for some of the first casualties of ice storms in Quebec to be due to someone running their gas generator in their garage or under their car shelter. Please never use generators or camping stoves indoors.
EDIT: Getting a heads up is also a great opportunity to reach out to loved ones that belong to vulnerable populations (namely, the elderly). It's best to shelter together if you're able to.
[0] https://montrealgazette.com/news/local-news/quebec-ice-storm...
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/January_1998_North_American_ic...