Latest news with #ice storm
CBC
5 days ago
- Climate
- CBC
Municipalities hit by Ontario ice storm turn to province for recovery money
Social Sharing Ontario cities and towns impacted by a destructive ice storm in early spring have until Monday to raise their hand for a provincial recovery fund meant to offset the cost of cleaning up. The storm, which hit swaths of central Ontario and Quebec on March 28, knocked out power to more than one million homes and businesses and cost $342 million in insured damage alone, according to the Insurance Bureau of Canada. It also brought huge costs on municipalities, who scrambled to repair infrastructure and clear roads of fallen trees and brush. "Because we are the second largest municipality in Ontario, it's a huge job to do. So we will be experiencing costs in excess of $15 million," said Kawartha Lakes Mayor Doug Elmslie of his community's cleanup. WATCH | A look at spring's ice storm cleanup: Some Ontario residents remain without power as ice storm cleanup continues 4 months ago Power outages continue in some Ontario regions that were hit hardest by last weekend's ice storm. As CBC's Dale Manucdoc reports, power restoration efforts will continue into the latter part of the week, while impacted areas brace for more freezing rain expected Wednesday. Ontario's municipal ice storm assistance program requires municipalities to submit an expression of interest by Monday, with final application packages due on Oct. 31. Elmslie says he's "very grateful" for the program, which promises to cover a sliding scale between 75 and 95 per cent of a municipality's total costs, depending on the size of its tax base and how much it spent. He says whatever's left will come from Kawartha Lakes' reserve fund, after which "we could look at our budget and see where we could pare things [down] or save." Brenda Rhodes, deputy mayor of Bracebridge, said her town spent about $470,000 after the ice storm, which they will be "looking to [be] reimbursed for" by the provincial program. "We had prolonged power outages, significant damage to power lines, and obviously the trees and debris that was down on the roads," she said. Orillia Mayor Don McIsaac says clearing trees and brush was the biggest post-storm line item for his city as well, with about $300,000 going toward paying for trucking out downed trees alone. "We really spent $7.6 million in terms of the recovery effort," said McIsaac, much of it on tree and brush removal. "We estimate we'll get about 6.6 million back."
CBS News
23-07-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Trump approves $50 million in federal funding for Michigan ice storm recovery
President Trump has approved $50 million in federal funds for Michigan to support repairs and recovery from the March ice storm in northern Michigan. Mr. Trump announced the funding on Tuesday on his Truth Social page. "I just spoke with Governor Gretchen Whitmer to let her know I am approving $50 Million Dollars for the wonderful State of Michigan for Public Assistance to help them recover from the terrible Winter Storms they endured. It was my Honor to do so," Mr. Trump said in a post. "Great news for Northern Michigan!" Michigan House Speaker Matt Hall said in response to the federal funding approval. The March 28-30 ice storm caused so much damage to trees, roads, utility poles and infrastructure that the State of Michigan quickly listed several counties in a state emergency declaration. Some schools did not have classes for two weeks. The state officials' pitch for federal help included at least one in-person meeting among Hall, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Mr. Trump on the matter. "I'm glad to have received word from President Trump committing federal funds to help Northern Michigan communities impacted by the historic ice storm damage earlier this year. We have more details to gather, but I'm grateful for this response to my requests of the White House," Whitmer said on a social media post Tuesday. "This has been one of our top priorities at the Capitol, and President Trump was very concerned when Gov. Whitmer and I spoke to him about the terrible damage at the White House this spring," Hall added. "People up there are struggling, and our northern communities are running out of emergency resources. When we need help, President Trump delivers. This is a very important lifeline and one more big help for Michigan in a year full of big wins working together." Hall pointed to the Michigan announcement in a series of social media posts from the White House's Rapid Response 47 team. That series of announcements from the White House also included approvals of federal funding for: A page for announcements and resources has been set up on the Federal Emergency Management Agency page under the title "Michigan Severe Winter Storm." The State of Michigan has compiled its announcements and resources on the 2025 Northern Michigan ice storm page.
