Hydro Quebec Ice Storm 1998

Though robust and well maintained the hydro quebec grid suffered unprecedented damage.

Hydro quebec ice storm 1998. The january ice storm it was a monday night. The january ice storm hydro quebec annie saint bruno de montarville january 5 1998 800 pm. Major load centres can be especially vulnerable hence the need for more and more lines and interconnections. From january 5 to february 6 1998 thousands of hydro quebec workers toiled tirelessly to reconnect the victims of the ice storm.

In providing the courts reasons justice suzanne cote wrote that given the provinces growing energy needs hydro quebec must adapt to ensure its service remains reliable and safe. Due to prevailing winds this warm air mass moved to quebec and then another one formed. Twenty years ago quebec was battered by an ice storm hydro quebec january 5 2018 from january 5 to 9 1998 southern quebec was coated in up to 110 millimeters of ice plunging more than three million people into the dark. After the january 1998 ice storm hydro quebec revised its system and implemented solutions to build a stronger electricity grid.

Even though hydro quebecs system was three times stronger than the standards required at the time it caved in. First el nino caused a large mass of warm air to form over the gulf of mexico. On february 6 1998 after the last customer was reconnected hydro quebec began to think about ways to make its transmission and distribution network more robust. The 1998 ice storm was exceptional because of two unusual situations that occurred hundreds of kilometres away from southwestern quebec.

The 1998 ice storm was particularly revealing. It was met with an exceptional response by the companys employees as well as unforgettable displays of solidarity and mutual aid by the people of quebec. In the days and weeks that followed thousands of hydro quebec workers with substantial support from colleagues from quebec companies and neighboring electrical utilities worked relentlessly to restore power in the regions. The ice storm that hit quebec from january 5 to 9 1998 was a natural disaster of unprecedented scope.

Major load centres can be especially vulnerable hence the need for more and more lines and interconnections. Between january 5 and 10 1998 quebec experienced exceptionally harsh weather conditions as three successive storms left up to 110 mm of ice over the south of the province. In providing the courts reasons justice suzanne cote wrote that given the provinces growing energy needs hydro quebec must adapt to ensure its service remains reliable and safe. Dubbed the triangle of darkness this section of the monteregie region went without power for weeks after the january 1998 ice storm.

Basic needs became peoples main concerns.