Derecho Causes Power Outages Everywhere, & State Of Emergency In NF, AH

Jeff Green | May 25, 2022

A Derecho is a phrase used by meteorologists to describe a “widespread, long-lived windstorm” that is accompanied with thunderstorms. Derecho, which means 'straight ahead' in Spanish, is distinguished from hurricanes and tornadoes because the wind is straight, with no swirl or spiral.

Apparently, Derechos are quite common, but until Saturday the word was not part of the vocabulary of too many Ontarians.

That has changed.

For many, Saturday afternoon (May 21) brought an intense thunderstorm and a power failure that stretched at least into Sunday and perhaps beyond. For some it also brought downed trees, and branches, in yards and wooded areas.

For others, it brought devastation, and danger. And in North Frontenac, devastation was more common.

On Sunday, Mayor Ron Higgins declared a state of emergency in the township.

“On May 21, 2022 we had a severe major wind event throughout North Frontenac, people injured, some isolated until access is opened, back country campers trapped, hydro poles/lines down. Require assistance to restore roads, hydro and cellular, with 4-8 weeks of cleanup,” is the message that he posted on the township website and social media feeds.

The township itself, also suffered damage. The roof has partially been ripped off of the township garage that is co-located with the admin office on Road 506 between Ardoch and Plevna.

Township crews were still working on some of the remote roads surrounding Frontenac Parklands, the network of road and boat access campsites that the township manages on Crown Land, into the work week, as some campers remained stranded.

“It hit pretty well all over the township,” said North Frontenac Mayor Ron Higgins on Monday, when contacted while taking a break from working with one of his neighbours clearing some brush, “the statement of emergency will allow us to recover some of our costs from the province if our expenses exceed $180.000,” he said.

Tipping fees have been waived for brush and yard waste at township waste sites on Road 506, Mississippi and Plevna.

Across the township, crews are working continuously on roads and trails, making residents and visitors are safe.

Ron Higgins said that he does not know when power will be back, in more remote township locations, as Ontario Hydro's first focus was a major 3 stage line north of Bon Echo Park.

Most of the permanent residents have working generators, Higgins said, because power failures are no rarity in the township.

Reeve Henry Hogg declared a state of emergency in Addington Highlands on Monday afternoon.

“The area between Cloyne and Slate Falls was pretty hard hit,” he said in a phone interview on Tuesday morning. “Lots of property damage and some injuries as well, one or two serious ones, but given what could have happened I think we got off pretty lucky,” he said

Township crews helped Bon Echo Park officials clear a swath through fallen trees and brush to access Joe Perry Lake, where walking and boat-in campers were stranded, Hogg said.

There was at least one severe injury when the lake was reached on Sunday, but most of the people were okay. On Sunday, Bon Echo Park was evacuated of campers, and will remain closed until at least May 31st as crews work to clean up the damage from fallen trees.

Bon Echo was unable to provide detailed information about the storm’s impact and recovery, by the publication deadline for this week’s Frontenac News.

Steve Smart, of Smart’s Marina on Mazinaw Lake, said that while the marina escaped major damage aside from the loss of a small shed, some of the property owners on the lake were not so lucky, as some buildings were damaged or destroyed.

Brown's campground, at the top end of Mazinaw Lake, was heavily hit, according to Smart, with lots of damage to trailers.

“There is also a lot of damage on all the lakes, I believe,” he said, “some of it we will not know about until people come back over the next few weeks. It’s a real mess everywhere.”

Hydro crews are working continuously to bring back power throughout the region, but the timeframe for most remote areas remains unclear.

Since Hydro One no longer does work on private property, property owners on islands and more remote locations will have to find contractors to bring back their power.

Much of Cloyne had power back and North Addington Education Centre was able to open for students on Tuesday morning.

Clarendon Central Public School was closed on Tuesday because of continued power outages and damage.

“Clarendon Central Public School will be closed to all students and staff May 24, 2022 … We do not have an estimated time of restoration due to the immense and severe damage to property, telecommunications and utilities’ infrastructure in the northern area of the school district,” said a release from the Limestone District School Board on Tuesday.

There are numerous verbal reports and photos of extensive damage to property throughout North Frontenac and Addington Highlands.

Reports of injuries are coming in as well, including serious incidents at both Bon Echo Park and Sherwood Park campground near Cloyne (see below), but details are still scarce.