On the anniversary of 2013 Ontario ice storm, is Toronto better prepared?

One year ago this week, Toronto was struck by perhaps its worst ice storm on record, when more than 20 centimetres of freezing rain and snow dumped on some areas the unsuspecting city.

The result was chaos, with centimetre-thick sheets of ice forming on cars, roads and trees. Highways were shut down, trees toppled and crashed to the ground, power was knocked out for days across the city.

It is hard to imagine that epic winter storm happened one year ago today, considering the balmy temperatures, clear skies and clean streets the city currently enjoys.

But indeed it did and, believe it or not, snow will return to Toronto sometime soon. And thanks to the 2013 ice storm, Toronto officials believe they will be better prepared.

City officials revamped and updated its emergency response plan from lessons learned last winter.

"The efforts and resources required to recover from last year’s storm were significant," city manager Joe Pennachetti said in a statement. “During the ice storm, we responded well but there were key learnings that highlighted the importance of having robust emergency response plans and systems in place to help mitigate the impact of weather related emergencies.”

That’s certainly good news. The 2013 ice storm sent Toronto into a tailspin – the lessons from which city officials are still trying to parse through.

At its peak, more than 1 million Toronto residents were without power, some for up to two weeks. Thousands were displaced from their homes, or forced to spend Christmas in darkness and uncomfortable conditions.

The province gave out gift cards to those who were left without food, the city opened warming centres. According to the Insurance Bureau of Canada, the storm caused more than $200 million in insured losses across the province, and cost Toronto tens of millions more in damage and cleanup.

This weekend, the city submitted a request through Ontario’s Ice Storm Assistance Program for a total of $64.2 million – the estimated cost of the emergency response, shelter, food and city clean up.

Here is how Toronto’s emergency response strategy has changed since then:

Emergency centres: Four city-owned facilities have been identified in districts across the city and identified as key emergency reception centres, which will have access to backup power during an emergency.

Improved hydro lines: One of the key problems last year was the frequency at which toppled trees took down power lines and left neighbourhoods in the dark. Toronto Hydro and the city’s forestry division have updated tree clearing practices to cut down on the number of lines at risk, and are looking at shifting to “more resilient infrastructure.”

Better protection for vulnerable residents: An Emergency Social Service Working Group has been established, which is focused on more quickly connecting vulnerable residents with city services.

Better communication: Toronto Hydro and 311 Toronto – the city’s communication centre – have almost finished a plan to link their call centres to ensure better information is making it to the public faster.

If that’s all we’ve learned from one of the city’s most devastating storms, it may seem like we’re screwed. But, frankly, there’s not much the city can do on a larger scale. Winter happens, we survive it and recover. It’s not like we can build a dome around the city.

It seems like Toronto officials have identified the handful of ways they can improve the little they can control. They’ll pre-emptively focus on keeping power on by keeping power lines up, keep the streets safe, and get those who need assistance to safety faster and more efficiently.

No matter how many updates the emergency preparedness plan goes through, it’s still going to be up to us to protect ourselves.

There will be no sequel to the 2013 Ontario ice storm, at least not this week. Environment Canada has issued a special weather statement for southern Ontario on Monday, warning of freezing rain and possible fits of snow.

But there will be another storm. It won’t be today, but it could be soon. And when it comes, will you be ready? Toronto officials say they will be, though that remains to be seen.