London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Wednesday, Jul 15, 2026

Lake houses don't even look real after being covered in ice during winter storm

Lake houses don't even look real after being covered in ice during winter storm

Crystal Beach in Canada is truly living up to its name as a massive winter storm last week left it coated in ice.


The lakefront community in Fort Erie, Ontario, is close to the border of New York city Buffalo which has been especially battered by the blizzard.

Looking like it was straight out of the Disney film Frozen, Crystal Beach has been dusted by snow and ice, blanketing rooftops, windows, sheds and cars.

Province officials have issued a weather warning due to the powerfully frigid winds and piles upon piles of snow.

Nearly 15,000 Fort Erie residents were left without power over the weekend, with a December 26 update from Canadian Niagara Power saying nearly 4,000 people are still without electricity.

The gusts have proved so intense that they threw water onto a row of buildings sitting on the lakefront.

Lake water was splashed onto the houses by the wind

The lakefront houses were completely crystalised by the ice

Residents are worried, however, about the water pooling when it melts


Resident Derek Tupling told CTV News Toronto on Tuesday: ‘(The waves) were coming up over the break wall. They were probably 10, 15 feet high, up above the break wall.

‘Then the water has frozen up the backsides of the houses, so from the tops of the houses all the way down.

‘So, you can just imagine the sheer volume and strength of water coming up over the wall to hit it and then freeze – flash freeze – immediately. It’s absolutely incredible.’

Tupling said the ice on the backs of the home is at least a foot thick, raising fears of the pooling water that could follow when it thaws.

‘We’ve been here for a long time and have never seen weather as bad as that over that period of time,’ he added.

‘The damage that’s been caused and the destruction on the backsides of these houses of where we are now is unbelievable.’

The icy phenomena were down to a severe winter storm sweeping across Canada and the US

The ice clung to almost every part of the properties

Everything from Niagara Falls to lighthouses has been frozen by the big chill


Many Crystal Beach locals were left in disbelief waking up to the whiteout conditions – and they certainly weren’t alone.

Tourists were stunned to see the mighty Niagara Falls had almost frozen solid due to the cold, while the deep freeze iced a lighthouse into a sculpture.

Though this has all come with a heavy price.

The death toll from the brutal bomb cyclone – an uncommon yet powerful winter storm – has reached more than 60/

Officials have said the storm, which collided with the region on December 23 and lasted roughly 36 hours, is one of the worst in recent memory.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Forget Tinder: The Surprising Platform Where People Find Love
Spain and UK Dismantle Gibraltar Border Following Landmark Schengen Integration Treaty
Spain in Ecstasy: "We Feel Unbeatable, We Taught the Whole World a Lesson"
UK Government Faces Growing Debate Over Local Control of Immigration Enforcement
UK Biodiversity Forum Highlights Business Need to Protect Natural Environment
UK Parliament to Consider Workplace Temperature Limits Amid Climate Concerns
UK Parliament Considers Independent Immigration Appeals Authority Proposal
BBC Charter Renewal Scrutiny Intensifies as Parliament Reviews Broadcaster’s Future
Parliament Reviews Future of UK Maternity and Neonatal Care Services
UK-India Trade Accelerator Launched to Help Smaller Firms Expand Into Indian Market
UK Business Leaders Meet in Edinburgh to Address Economic Risks From Biodiversity Loss
UK Parliament Prepares for Sir Keir Starmer’s Final Prime Minister’s Questions Before Leadership Transition
Green Party-Led Lewisham Council Moves Against Cooperation With Home Office Immigration Raids
UK Government Faces Parliamentary Pressure Over Capita Contracts in Shared Services Programme
UK Economy Expected to See Modest Growth as OECD Highlights Fiscal and Global Risks
Public Accounts Committee Warns UK Government’s Four Point Three Billion Pound Shared Services Plan Risks Failure
EU and UK Sign Agreement Removing Gibraltar Border Controls After Years of Post-Brexit Uncertainty
OECD Warns UK Must Maintain Fiscal Discipline as Andy Burnham Prepares to Become Prime Minister
UK-India Free Trade Agreement Enters Into Force as Businesses Seek New Growth Opportunities
Harvard Astrophysicist to Lead U.S. Scientific Advisory on Unidentified Aerial Phenomena
On the Island That Did Not Yield to Trump, There Is No Electricity, and 10 Million Live in Darkness
Emergency Sirens Activated Across Bahrain as Interior Ministry Issues Shelter Directives
Key Trends to Watch
United Nations Expert Calls for Full Implementation of Supreme Court Ruling on Legal Definition of Sex
Industry Coalition Urges Labour Lawmakers to Back Continued North Sea Oil and Gas Production
Parliamentary Committee Calls for Tougher Restrictions on Unhealthy Food Advertising
Government Expands Awaab's Law to Cover Heat and Additional Housing Hazards
Energy Regulator Opens Independent Investigation Into National Grid Operator
United Kingdom and European Union Sign Landmark Gibraltar Border Agreement
Chancellor Unveils Financial Services Reform and Artificial Intelligence Strategy at Mansion House
Counterterrorism Police Take Over Investigation Into Killing of Former Minister Ann Widdecombe
Beer Industry Warns UK Rules Could Limit Growth of Alcohol-Free Market
Home Office Faces Legal Challenges Over Asylum Seeker Accommodation Closures
UK Heatwaves Linked to More Than Two Thousand Seven Hundred Deaths as Climate Debate Intensifies
Home Secretary Faces Pressure Over Political Security After Ann Widdecombe Murder Investigation
United Kingdom Opens Trade Consultation With Indonesia, Philippines, United Arab Emirates and Uruguay
Robert Jenrick Joins Reform UK After Leaving Conservative Party Leadership Role
Counter-Terrorism Police Take Over Investigation into Murder of Former MP Ann Widdecombe
Andy Burnham Secures Strong Labour Backing in Race to Succeed Keir Starmer
Global Markets Slide as Middle East Conflict Escalation Sends Oil Prices Higher
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer Offers Condolences Following Death of Qatar’s Father Amir
UK Regional Innovation Policy Focuses on Research Clusters Across Scotland, Wales, and Northern England
UK Corporate Transparency Rules Set to Become More Strict Under Modern Slavery Reform Plans
UK Civil Service Estate Strategy Shifts Government Activity Away From London
UK Strengthens National Security Powers Through New Threat Designations
Greater Manchester Police Conduct Drink and Drug Driving Operations After Football Events
UK Government Advances Darlington Economic Campus With Construction Milestone
UK Authorities Increase Football-Related Security Operations After Tournament Fixtures
UK Invests Fifty-One Million Pounds in National Cryogenics Facility and Regional Innovation Hubs
UK Moves Toward Tougher Modern Slavery Reporting Rules With Corporate Penalties
×