Ice Storm: Over 95% of Power Outages Reconnected
Following a major storm earlier this week, Hydro-Québec has made significant progress in restoring power. By Thursday morning, the number of customers without electricity fell to under 5,000. This marks a dramatic improvement since a peak of 395,000 customers experienced outages on Tuesday.
Power Restoration Efforts
Hydro-Québec reports that over 95% of the affected addresses have been restored to service. The storm brought approximately twenty centimeters of snow, which contributed to extensive power outages across the province.
Current Situation
- Approximately 2,500 customers in Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean are still without power.
- About 1,500 customers in Montérégie are also affected.
- The remaining outages are scattered across various other regions in Quebec.
Despite the challenges, workers have restored electricity to most customers. The remaining outages mostly involve “more challenging cases” located in heavily wooded areas that are difficult to reach.
Deployment of Crews
To address the outages, around 1,000 line workers were deployed on Tuesday and Wednesday for restoration efforts. Hydro-Québec attributed the widespread outages to the presence of leaves beneath the heavy snow, which exacerbated the situation.
Fortunately, most damages to the network are minor, which is favorable considering the scale of the storm’s impact. Ongoing restoration efforts continue as the utility company works diligently to connect the last few customers still without power.
