Winter Storm: Hydro-Québec Provides an Update on the Outages
MONTRÉAL, Dec. 26, 2022 /CNW Telbec/ - Thanks to more than a thousand workers on the ground every day, Hydro-Québec has restored service to 605 000 customers, or about 90% of all affected households, explained Sophie Brochu, President and CEO of Hydro-Québec, and Julie Sbeghen, Senior Director of Operations and Maintenance, during a press conference.
In total, close to 670 000 customers will have been affected at some point since Thursday night as unusually strong wind gusts moved across the province, causing significant damage. At 11:00 a.m. this morning, that number fell under 65 000.
The main regions affected are the following:
- Québec City: about 23 000 customers
- Saguenay ? Lac-St-Jean: about 10 000 customers
- Côte-Nord: about 10 000 customers
At the height of the event, there were more than 380,000 customers without power at the same time.
To follow the evolution of the situation, consult the Power outages Status by region. Please note that the service restoration times shown on the map are approximate and may vary due to the number of outages and the kind of damage. Customers should plan for alternatives even if specific service restoration times appear.
The challenge is significant: power lines have been downed by uprooted trees. There are still over 2,000 sites where we must carry out work. Certain sites are located in remote areas, and repairs, which can be lengthy, may only restore service to a small number of customers. 50% of outages affect fewer than 150 customers. For these reasons, it is likely that some customers will still be without power for a few days.
More than 1,200 workers will continue to work today.
Hydro-Québec wishes to thank customers for their patience and understanding. We appreciate that the situation is difficult and want to assure you that we are doing all that we can to restore service as quickly as possible. There's never a good time for a storm and power outages. The holiday season is no exception. We know this is a difficult situation and we want to assure you that we are doing everything we can to restore power as quickly as possible.
Important Safety Information
For public safety, it is crucial that people not approach power lines. If you see electrical wires on the ground, please do not approach the area and call 911 to have the area secured.
We ask that motorists exercise caution near our worksites.
Also, customers must absolutely not use outdoor equipment and devices inside. Fuel-burning heaters, lights, generators or portable stoves designed for outdoor use can cause asphyxiation or poisoning if used inside.
Finally, we also call for the utmost vigilance with regard to food poisoning. Most home insurance includes coverage for food stored in the freezer.
SOURCE Hydro-Québec
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