Nine people are reported dead and power is still out for tens of thousands in parts of Ontario and Quebec after a major storm came through Saturday.
The storm tore through southern Ontario and Quebec in a matter of hours with initial damage being reported as significant and included hundreds of broken poles, several downed transmission towers, fallen trees and broken limbs along with many downed power lines.
“The storm has caused extensive damage across the province and we anticipate it will take multiple days to restore power to all customers. We know life grinds to a halt without electricity and we have mobilized every available resource to restore power as quickly and safely as possible for our customers,” said Jason Fitzsimmons, Chief Corporate Affairs and Customer Care Officer. “We appreciate everyone’s patience as we work to restore power as quickly as possible.”
The company has mobilized crews from across the province to assist with rebuilding the grid in the hardest hit areas and is seeking assistance from other utilities and contactors. At this time the company anticipates it will take several days to restore power to all customers due to the extent of the damage.
The total death toll from Saturday’s storm is still unclear, but police in Ontario reported seven people killed by falling trees in locations across the province during the storm Saturday, and an eighth killed by a falling tree branch in the storm’s aftermath on Sunday.
A ninth person died Saturday when the boat she was in capsized on the Ottawa River near Masson-Angers, Que.
The widespread damage prompted the Ontario towns of Uxbridge, north of Toronto, and Clarence-Rockland, east of Ottawa, to declare states of emergency.
Teams from the project have gone to the Uxbridge area as well as to southern Ottawa over suspicions that they could have been hit by tornadoes or elevated winds.
For more information and updates, visit the Hydro One website.
