What Was The Storm Of The Century?
The storm of the century was a blizzard that happened in March 1971 that hit Eastern Canada, with Montreal being hit particularly hard. It was in Quebec where the blizzard was given the name “the storm of the Century”, and it has also been named “inferno of snow.” Montreal reporter Rick Leckner once said, “We’ve had lots of storms that I have reported on through the years, but ‘71 was the be-all-end-all, no question in terms of snowfall.”
Snowfall was not the only thing about the storm that was memorable for anyone. The winds within the blizzard hit 120 km/h (75 mph), which are hurricane-force winds. It was one of the most powerful storms to hit Canada in the 20th century.
Where Did The Storm Of The Century Hit?
The Storm Of The Century had its largest impact on southeastern Quebec, but parts of New Brunswick, Ontario, PEI, Labrador, and many states in the northeastern United States were also hit. Major cities that were hit include Montreal, Quebec City, and Ottawa. Other cities hit include Hull, Upton, St Hubert, Trois Riviers, Drummondville, Sherbrook, and many more.
When Did The Storm Of The Century Happen?
The storm of the century took place from March 3 – March 5 in 1971, with the vast majority of wind and snow coming in on March 4th, as the storm formed late at night on the 3rd, and dissipated the morning of the 5th. The storm is often described as being “sudden” and hitting without warning, meaning that the people hit were unable to prepare for a blizzard.
How Did The Storm Of The Century Form?
An area of low pressure developed in the northeastern United States on March 3. This area of low pressure was very similar to the type of systems that form hurricanes in the summertime and in the ocean. The lowest pressure recorded in the storm was 966 mb (millibars), which is the same level usually found in a category 2 hurricane. By the evening, the storm had made it over Canada, by the 4th, the vast majority of the day had heavy snow, with Montreal recording at least 17 hours of at least moderate snowfall happening simultaneously with heavy winds.
How Much Snow Fell During The Storm Of The Century?
The Radar Station Mont Apica and the surrounding areas were hit with the most snow, with it coming up to 80 cm by the end of the storm. Montreal was the hardest hit major city, having received 47 cm of snow, with 43 cm of it on the 4th, with Quebec City hitting 44 cm, and Ottawa receiving over 30 cm. The 43 cm that hit Montreal remained a one-day record that stood until December 27, 2012.
How Much Damage Did The Storm Of The Century Do?
The storm did over $1 million in damage total to a combination of private and public property. This included roof damage to over 50 homes, and several businesses having their windows damaged.
How Many People Were Killed In The Storm Of The Century?
A total of 30 people were killed in the blizzard. 17 of these people were in Montreal when they perished.
What Other Impacts Did The Storm Of The Century Have?
The impacts of the storm were long-lasting, with Montreal being hit particularly hard. Buses, snowmobiles, and other vehicles were stopped. The Montreal Canadiens home game that was scheduled for the 4th against the Vancouver Canucks was postponed. Although this doesn’t seem like a big deal, it was the first time since 1918 that a game in Montreal had been postponed. Power outages afterwards lasted up to 10 days, and the city of Montreal was effectively shut down for a large portion of that time. Montreal’s airport was also closed for a long period of time, with several roads, including highways, being closed for several days.
It is also possible that the excessive amount of snow contributed to the mudslide near Saint-Jean-Vianney in May 1971, as the saturated grounds, possibly from large amounts of snow, were a major contributor to the mudslide. This mudslide killed 31 people.
What Is The Legacy Of The Storm Of The Century?
The Storm Of The Century is still remembered as one of the strongest blizzards to ever hit any part of the country and was an unforgettable event for the people in Montreal who lived through it. Rick Lechner described getting into his work helicopter the following morning.
“I remember it vividly. While the years go by, I still remember it, amongst all the other crazy things that I did. I was hellbent on getting the helicopter up. The problem was you could not get anywhere, so I remembered that for whatever reason, Harold Cummings Chevrolet at Jean Talon and Decarie, had snowmobiles. So I made an arrangement to get there, and I got a snowmobile. I took the snowmobile from Jean Talon and Decarie out to Pierrefonds to get my pilot, who lived in Pierrefonds at the time, so I vividly remember driving on a snowmobile down the middle of the Trans Canada Highway, getting my pilot from his Pierrefonds home, putting him behind me, and somehow we made it back to the airport. We got up in the helicopter and we flew for a long time.”
The storm also solidified an already snow-heavy 1970-1971 snow season, with many cities getting record-setting amounts of snow, including Montreal (380 cm), Quebec City (460 cm) and Ottawa (440 cm). The records for Montreal and Ottawa still stand to this day. This high amount of snow might have contributed to the aforementioned mudslide.