December 28, 2022, Toronto: The lakefront community of Crystal Beach in Fort Erie, Ontario, was named for its “crystal clear” water, but recently it’s been known for its ice crystals. Ice, a foot thick in places, engulfed houses and cars along the shore over Christmas.
Strong winds created large waves in Lake Erie, reportedly 10 to 15 feet high, above the break wall. The waves flash-froze as they crash against the houses. Environment Canada issued weather warnings to most of Ontario due to high winds and heavy snowfall.
State of Emergency
The US-Canada border and the Peace Bridge were closed during this severe storm as Buffalo’s mayor declared a driving ban. Across the lake, in Buffalo, at least 31 people died as the city had more than 8 feet of snowfall by Dec. 26. According to Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz, 17 were found outside; 3 had cardiac events while shovelling snow; 7 didn’t have heat; 3 were found in a vehicle; and one died of an ambulance delay. On Christmas day, the town of Fort Erie declared a State of Emergency. At the peak of the outage, about 15,000 homes in the region were without power, according to Canadian Niagara Power.
