Niagara Region clobbered by snow storm 15 years ago

As anyone who suffers from triskaidekaphobia can tell you Friday the 13th is not a welcome day.

And yesterday (October 13) was that anniversary of one of the worst in Niagara Region history.

Friday, October 13, 2006 was certainly not a happy one for a number of Niagara residents as over 30 cms (one foot) of snow hammered the region.

Power was lost in almost all of Fort Erie’s 30,000 homes and due to the fact that the trees had yet to shed their leaves for the winter, the snow piling onto branches in essence more than doubled their weight, causing limbs to crash down across the region – often on top of vehicles.

While Fort Erie and Port Colborne were certainly the worst hit, the snow was so bad that Buffalo, New York shut down the Peace Bridge.

It was the worst October snowstorm in the region ever, dating as far back as the 1870s when records started being kept.

The OPP ordered people off the roads and highways to avoid massive accidents as blowing snow created zero visibility.

While some saw their power restored within a day, many were left without for as long as a week.

(Photo courtesy of the Weather Network)