Severe Thunderstorms: Hydro-Québec Provides an Update on the Outages

Thanks to hundreds of workers in the field yesterday and last night, Hydro-Québec has restored service to about 470,000 customers, 85% of those affected. At the height of the event on Saturday night, there were more than 554,000 customers without power due to unusually severe thunderstorms that moved from west to east, causing significant damage. At 11 a.m. Wednesday, that number fell below 85,000.

The main regions affected are the following:

• Laurentians : about 50 000 customers
• Lanaudière : about 18 000 customers
• Outaouais : about 1 000 customers
• The situation is fully restored in the Mauricie, Capitale-Nationale and Montreal regions.

To follow the evolution of the situation, consult the Power outages Status by region.

The challenge is significant: power lines have been downed by uprooted trees, poles have to be replaced at a rate of about 100 per day, and sections of the distribution network have to be rebuilt. There are still over 1 500 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. For these reasons, outages require a longer than usual repair time.

Today, approximately 1,500 workers will be mobilized. Crews from eastern Quebec, municipal networks and New Brunswick are helping us, as are numerous contractors.

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.

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.