IceStorm 98 Study

Issue #6 – Informing the Public

In an emergency, the public wants information and people want to know the truth. During the Ice Storm emergency, the question everyone wanted an answer to was: - “When will my power be back on?”. Yet this was difficult information to get, especially at the beginning of the crisis. Circumstances dictated some uncertainty at the outset because of the unprecedented nature of the storm and the fact that power lines were coming down faster than they were being put back up. But the lack of information was also partly due to Ontario Hydro’s poor communication with the public and government officials. This situation did improve over time and Ontario Hydro has recognized this as an area where improvement is needed:

“Ontario Hydro’s communications with its customers, media and stakeholders were inadequate primarily due to lack of specific information needed by these entities, especially customers who needed information on when their electricity supply would be restored, and the media for publication and broadcasting.

Ice Storm ’98 – A Report on the Electricity supply Impacts of the January, 1998 Ice Storm in Eastern Ontario, Ontario Hydro, May 1, 1998

People wanted to know how long power was going to be out so they could make informed decisions (i.e., -whether to tough it out at home, go to a shelter, close down the house, get out of town, stay at a hotel, or bunk in with friends).

For example, most people staying at a shelter near Montreal decided to make other arrangements and moved out when told their power was going to be out for several more weeks. During an emergency, most people will look after themselves if they can, but in order to do this they need accurate information. The uncertainty- hoping something would happen tomorrow and then having it not happen, was itself tiring.

Involving the media in getting information out to residents is crucial. Treat the media as a partner and make their job easy. Throughout this emergency, the media showed themselves to be a willing partner and reporting was responsible. One reporter interviewed for the study stated that the normal reporter – interviewee relationship broke down and he was not sure it could be re-established. The message from the media is: give them a chance to help during a crisis and they will respond appropriately.