Hydro Ottawa says power will probably not be restored to all customers until Friday, almost two full weeks after a powerful storm swept through the region.
The teams have been constantly repairing power lines throughout the city since May 21. About 180,000 Hydro Ottawa customers were without electricity immediately afterwards.
Now only small homes are without electricity, but some are expected to have to wait until Friday before crews can complete their work. As of Tuesday, officials said 3,000 Hydro Ottawa customers were still experiencing interruptions.
The clock below shows exactly how they were without power.
It wasn’t easy, said Gillian Brenner, who is without electricity at her home in Rockcliffe. She has two young children, including one month old.
“I never thought it could go that long without power,” she said. “I’m somewhat shocked that it will take so long to put it back on, but I know they are working really hard.”
Brenner and her husband rely on the help of their parents, who live nearby. They also work around the clock with a generator they borrowed from their parents.
Although there was a lot of help, Brenner said being powerless for so long was “pretty nasty.”
– It was definitely difficult.
Brenner’s neighbor, Rina Eyre, said she was used to being in the dark at the time.
Rina Eyre says at the time that she is used to living without electricity, which was cut off after the May 21st storm. (Nicole Williams, CBC)
“I lost the number,” the 80-year-old said of how long her home had been without electricity. Eyre and her husband have no generator and have relied on a flashlight to drive around the house at night.
Everything in her refrigerator and freezer, both loaded with food, has long since been emptied.
Asked how he felt about being without electricity for a few more days, Eyre shrugged, summing it up as “uncomfortable” and said he was ultimately lucky to be safe and that the house had at least running water.
During an update by officials on Tuesday, Mayor Jim Watson said the city had received about 2,000 requests from those in need of financial assistance after having to throw away food because of the storm.
He said those in need can call 211 or 311 for more information on how to apply for financial assistance.
Hydro Ottawa President and CEO Bryce Conrad also explained that delays in power recovery are because in some cases, damage to equipment such as transformers is so severe that it cannot be repaired.
“We obviously have to turn it around and replace it. It just takes longer than it would otherwise,” Conrad said.
The company described widespread damage from lightning and storms as worse than the 1998 ice storm and 2018 tornado.
Add Comment