Thousands of Hydro One customers across southwest, central, and eastern Ontario are dealing with power outages after powerful winds swept through the region, toppling trees and damaging power infrastructure.
As of late Wednesday morning, approximately 17,000 customers were affected by outages stretching from Port Loring to the Almaguin area, and from Powassan to Mattawa and West Nipissing. Hydro One crews have been dispatched to assess damage and begin restoration efforts, though many areas may remain without power well into the evening.
Restoration timelines currently range from around 5 p.m. to as late as 11:30 p.m. Wednesday. Hydro One reports that the most significant damage stems from fallen trees and limbs hitting power lines, as well as full tree uprootings caused by soaked, unstable ground. In some rural locations, storm-washed roads are also delaying crew access and repair operations.
“In addition to broken poles and cross arms, damage has largely been caused by tree limbs and trees coming down on power lines and equipment,” Hydro One said in a statement. “Restoration times will be affected by access issues where local roads are washed out due to scattered storms.”
Hydro One continues to update its outage map as assessments and repairs progress.
Meanwhile, the Near North District School Board confirmed that South River Public School is closed Wednesday due to a power outage. While several other schools experienced disruptions, the board has since lifted most closures following the restoration of electricity to those buildings.
Originally published on Weekly Voice