TORONTO – Strong winds hit hard in Southern Ontario over the past 24 hours. Winds knocked out power to 370,000 Hydro One customers.
Since then, Hydro One crews have restored power to most of those customers affected by the wind storm that started yesterday in southern and central Ontario and continues to move east.
This is the most significant storm since May 2018 with high winds and gusts over 100km/hr causing outages currently affecting approximately more than 96,600 customers and damaging approximately 400 poles.
“Yesterday’s fierce winds took down trees, power lines and other critical Hydro One equipment resulting in significant damage,” said David Lebeter, Chief Operating Officer, Hydro One. “Crews continue to work through challenging conditions to restore power to our customers as quickly and as safely as possible. To assist with restoration efforts, Hydro One is receiving support from neighbouring utilities and sent additional crews to the hardest hit areas however, we anticipate that some customers could be without power for several days.”
While crews continue to restore power, Hydro One expects additional outages as the storm moves east towards Belleville and Kingston. Parts of central Ontario are also experiencing whiteout conditions making it challenging for crews to restore power.
Customers can report an outage online by clicking here or by calling 1-800-434-1235. Our outage tools are updated every 10 minutes as information comes in from crews on-the-ground as damage is assessed. Customers can also sign up in advance to receive text or email alerts about power outages at HydroOne.com/MyAccount or visit Hydro One’s outage map.
If the power in your area is affected by severe weather, be sure to stay clear of any fallen power lines. If you spot a fallen line, keep at least 10 metres back, even if it does not appear to be live. Report it to the police and call Hydro One at 1-800-434-1235.
