Ontario storm hits Hamilton, causing uptick in storm-related injuries

The big storm hit Hamilton making the roads and walkways treacherous, and causing an uptick in calls to paramedics for storm-related injuries.

Environment Canada’s storm alert for Hamilton warns of wind chill values in the -20s and wind gusts up to 110 kilometres per hour.

The wind knocked down a power line and loosened another at the intersection of Bay Street and Hunter Street.

Alectra reported at least two power outages, one in Flamborough and one in Stoney Creek.

Hamilton paramedics say there has been an increase in calls for storm-related injuries like slip and falls and several traffic accidents.

Roadway maintenance manager Peter Sniuolis says he expects the entire fleet of more than 200 ploughs to be out cleaning roads and walkways continuously for the next two days. Noting that salting is less effective in colder temperatures.

“The big difference with this is the significant temperature drop we had earlier in the morning as well as the high winds that picked up… It’s been a challenge just to stay on top of it but we are out here,” Sniuolis said.

Twelve recreation centres were open as warming centres until 4 p.m. The city’s shelter system is at or above capacity, the city has contracted the hub on Vine Street to open an all-night warming centre for people experiencing homelessness, with the rec centres closing at 4 p.m. and the hub not opening its overnight warming centre until 10 p.m.
means people experiencing homelessness will have no city-run warming centres to go to for about six hours.

Hamilton’s libraries are normally used as warming centres, but they are closed due to the storm.