As city officials, staff and cleanup crews worked to repair the havoc caused by an icy storm, Mayor Rob Ford was unreachable, according to a source.

The mayor could not be found all Sunday morning by city staff working to organize warming centres and other emergency preparations, the source said.

Related:

· Storm live updates (click here for mobile)

· Full storm coverage

Ford’s communications director Amin Massoudi said in an email the source was “mistaken.”

Hydro at Ford’s house was out too.

A few minutes later, the account tweeted to say people should call Toronto Hydro or 911 to report downed wires — which prompted a series of angry responses from followers who said that wasn’t the proper procedure. Throughout the day, police reminded residents to make non-emergency phone calls to the main line, not 911.

Just after 10:30 a.m., Ford’s account tweeted he would be holding a news conference at Metro Hall with city staff at 1:30 p.m.

The source said Ford was briefed on the storm situation just minutes before the conference.

“The city’s emergency operation centre was activated yesterday to manage the storm impacts,” Ford said surrounded by Deputy Mayor Norm Kelly, Councillor Denzil Minnan-Wong, who chairs Public Works, and other city staff. “I have been briefed on the latest situation by our staff in the emergency operations centre.”

Massoudi said the mayor had been in touch with staff “since early this morning.”

Others say they were surprised to learn the mayor was calling a news conference, given they hadn’t been in touch with him all morning.

Even the deputy mayor, who had been the point person for city officials dealing with the storm, said he hadn’t spoken to Ford until the news conference.

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“I am not aware of any conversations anyone had with the mayor before the press conference,” Kelly said.

Kelly said he was happy that he, Ford and Minnan-Wong presented a united front.

“I think it was important for the three members of council with an interest in this to appear together with the same message,” he said.