Two days after a powerful thunderstorm ripped through Ottawa, Hydro Ottawa crews are working tirelessly to repair the damage and return power to hundreds of thousands of residents. ."To provide some context for you and your residents, this event is significantly worse than both the ice storm of 1998 and the tornadoes of 2018," Hydro Ottawa said in a letter sent to Mayor Jim Watson on Sunday.."This level of damage to our distribution system is simply beyond comprehension.".On Saturday afternoon, a storm with heavy rain moved northeast from Michigan and into southern Ontario, passing through London, Toronto, and Kingston before hitting Ottawa around 3:30 p.m. The storm pummeled the city with wind gusts of up to 120 km/h knocking down trees and power lines, blocking roadways, and damaging buildings..Two people were killed in the storm: a 59-year-old man who died after being struck by a falling tree on a golf course, and a 51-year-old woman who drowned after her boat capsized in the Ottawa River..More than 350,000 customers in the region were initially left without power on Saturday, and Hydro Ottawa reported early Monday that more than 140,000 customers in the region were still without power. .Hydro Ottawa said the wide-spread nature of the outage "persists with no easy fix." They said because, "no single area of the city was unaffected in some manner," crews focused on restoring power to critical infrastructure like hospitals, waste and water treatment plants, and the Ottawa international Airport, and would now be working "around the clock until all power is restored to our city.".Many Ottawa residents took to social media to express their frustration with the slow progress Hydro Ottawa was making. In a press conference on Sunday afternoon, Watson said he was "dismayed" with some of the comments he was reading online.."[The crews] are working their hearts out to make sure that we get the power back as quickly as possible. But with over 170,000 customers without power, it can't all be done within an hour or so," he said. "We ask you to remain positive, despite the challenges. We ask you to please be patient. Please respect the rules and directions given to you by first responders.".On Monday morning, traffic lights were down in many parts of the city, leading to congestion as vehicles attempted to treat intersections as four-way stops. With convenience stores having sold out of ice long ago, several residents were asking where they could buy some online, in desperate attempts to keep their food from spoiling..The city opened up nine emergency centres that offer amenities like washrooms, charging stations and showers. Even still, restaurants and coffee shops across the city were crowded with people charging their phones and laptops. Ottawa residents could also be seen filling up jerry cans at the gas stations that were still functioning. Ottawa By-law said they received numerous noise complaints about people running their gas-powered generators at night. "Please be advised that usual noise by-law restrictions are waived for generators supporting properties in areas without power. This means they are allowed to run 24/7," they said on Twitter. Ottawa City Manager Steve Kanellakos said a "silver lining" from the storm was that Ottawa learned important lessons on reacting to natural disasters."It quickly transitions from physical debris, property damage, to people's health, people's wellness," Kanellakos said. "And what we've done this time is we've moved very quickly to take care of the health needs, the human needs, of the community."."The storms that swept across Ontario and Quebec yesterday caused serious damage, claimed several lives, and left many without power," Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Twitter. "We’re thinking of everyone affected, and thanking the crews who are working to restore power – we stand ready to provide federal support if needed.
Two days after a powerful thunderstorm ripped through Ottawa, Hydro Ottawa crews are working tirelessly to repair the damage and return power to hundreds of thousands of residents. ."To provide some context for you and your residents, this event is significantly worse than both the ice storm of 1998 and the tornadoes of 2018," Hydro Ottawa said in a letter sent to Mayor Jim Watson on Sunday.."This level of damage to our distribution system is simply beyond comprehension.".On Saturday afternoon, a storm with heavy rain moved northeast from Michigan and into southern Ontario, passing through London, Toronto, and Kingston before hitting Ottawa around 3:30 p.m. The storm pummeled the city with wind gusts of up to 120 km/h knocking down trees and power lines, blocking roadways, and damaging buildings..Two people were killed in the storm: a 59-year-old man who died after being struck by a falling tree on a golf course, and a 51-year-old woman who drowned after her boat capsized in the Ottawa River..More than 350,000 customers in the region were initially left without power on Saturday, and Hydro Ottawa reported early Monday that more than 140,000 customers in the region were still without power. .Hydro Ottawa said the wide-spread nature of the outage "persists with no easy fix." They said because, "no single area of the city was unaffected in some manner," crews focused on restoring power to critical infrastructure like hospitals, waste and water treatment plants, and the Ottawa international Airport, and would now be working "around the clock until all power is restored to our city.".Many Ottawa residents took to social media to express their frustration with the slow progress Hydro Ottawa was making. In a press conference on Sunday afternoon, Watson said he was "dismayed" with some of the comments he was reading online.."[The crews] are working their hearts out to make sure that we get the power back as quickly as possible. But with over 170,000 customers without power, it can't all be done within an hour or so," he said. "We ask you to remain positive, despite the challenges. We ask you to please be patient. Please respect the rules and directions given to you by first responders.".On Monday morning, traffic lights were down in many parts of the city, leading to congestion as vehicles attempted to treat intersections as four-way stops. With convenience stores having sold out of ice long ago, several residents were asking where they could buy some online, in desperate attempts to keep their food from spoiling..The city opened up nine emergency centres that offer amenities like washrooms, charging stations and showers. Even still, restaurants and coffee shops across the city were crowded with people charging their phones and laptops. Ottawa residents could also be seen filling up jerry cans at the gas stations that were still functioning. Ottawa By-law said they received numerous noise complaints about people running their gas-powered generators at night. "Please be advised that usual noise by-law restrictions are waived for generators supporting properties in areas without power. This means they are allowed to run 24/7," they said on Twitter. Ottawa City Manager Steve Kanellakos said a "silver lining" from the storm was that Ottawa learned important lessons on reacting to natural disasters."It quickly transitions from physical debris, property damage, to people's health, people's wellness," Kanellakos said. "And what we've done this time is we've moved very quickly to take care of the health needs, the human needs, of the community."."The storms that swept across Ontario and Quebec yesterday caused serious damage, claimed several lives, and left many without power," Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Twitter. "We’re thinking of everyone affected, and thanking the crews who are working to restore power – we stand ready to provide federal support if needed.
