Sunday morning, residents awoke to the eerie sight of destruction. Falling debris, downed power lines, and uprooted trees damaged homes, vehicles, and roads.
“It looks like a bomb went off in my yard; it looks like a warzone,” said Cam Cahill, a resident of Oro-Medonte.
fallen tree strikes Oro-Medonte home after ice storm, Credit: Cam Cahill
The sound of breaking trees, falling ice, and sirens could be heard throughout the night as the storm tore through central and eastern Ontario.
“Around 5:30 a.m., we woke up to cracking and trees snapping and falling. Later in the morning, when we got up, we saw a massive tree that had fallen across the road and another in the backyard,” said Aylah Wilson, a resident of Springwater.
“A lot of neighbours came out to help move the trees off the road. It was heartwarming to see that there are still good people out there, coming together,” Wilson added.
Orillia, Oro-Medonte, and Peterborough have declared a state of emergency due to the damage. A state of emergency is declared when officials deem it necessary to protect the public or to alleviate harm or damage.
Debris covering area after ice storm, Credit: Briar Wilson
“It’s not looking good. Huge trees took out a bunch of power lines near us… no power, no service,” said Peterborough resident Brianna Beamish.
According to Hydro One, more than 360,224 customers were affected by outages. The estimated restoration time for the area is not expected until later Sunday afternoon at the earliest, and Tuesday, April 1, at 11 p.m. at the latest for some regions.
Many roads in the region are closed due to damage. OPP Central Region posted on X (formerly Twitter), advising residents to “avoid travel if possible. Conditions are hazardous. If at home, remain inside. Multiple reports of people being injured while outside due to falling trees.”
Road closures after ice storm, Credit: Coal Wilson
OPP also reported a “tremendous spike in calls for service across our communities.” The OPP asks that residents only use 911 for urgent emergencies.
With conditions warming up Sunday, southwestern Ontario could expect severe thunderstorm risks Sunday evening.
