Jai Persaud, on the left, gestures to his wife Nan as they examine the tree that collapsed at his neighbor’s house after the May 21 storm. Persaud says that without electricity or the internet, it has been difficult to get the insurance process up and running. (Avanthika Anand / CBC)
On Sunday, Anshul Melville brought a chainsaw to the trees that fell in the front yard of his Pineglen Annex home during last weekend’s deadly storm.
Melville has been cleaning up this mess for over a week, but his biggest challenge is that he can’t fix it himself.
“There was no heat, no warm water,” said Melville, one of Hydro Ottawa’s approximately 10,000 customers who still have no electricity, eight days after the storm.
Melville has been using a rented backup generator just to keep his phone charged, in case of an emergency.
But this temporary solution, even when used minimally, is expensive. Melville says she spends more than $ 100 a day keeping the generator running, and she’s starting to get tired.
“It simply came to our notice then [our] return power, “he said.
“It’s been tough”
In a Sunday update, Hydro Ottawa said it had restored electricity to 94% of its approximately 180,000 customers affected by the powerful May 21 law.
The power company said it was entering the “final phase of restoration efforts”, with teams scattered around the city trying to reconnect “the remaining isolated outages”.
One such outage was at the Merivale home of 95-year-old Mervyn Brown, who was unable to locate a generator.
Last week has been a challenge for both him and his wife, he said.
“It has been hard because we are collecting rainwater to wash the toilets,” he said, adding that they do not have drinking water in their home.
Mervyn Brown, 95, says she was unable to access a generator in the days following the devastating May 21 right that crashed in Ottawa. Brown says he and his wife have had to throw away about $ 1,000 in food. (Julia Wong / CBC)
With no electricity for his fridge, Brown says he has had to throw away at least $ 1,000 of food. That adds to the significant storm damage that still needs to be repaired, he said.
Jai Persaud’s property was also damaged, and the power outage meant he was unable to begin repairs.
With no power or internet connection, Persaud said it was difficult for him to contact his insurance provider.
“I go to [nearby] Tim Hortons parking lot to try and use the internet there. It has been very difficult to try to get in touch with people, “he said.
Feeling powerless
Carleton University student Claire Petite lives on Prince of Wales Drive and said the lack of energy and internet has “completely disrupted” her life.
Ongoing interruptions, he said, are making it difficult for him to continue his studies.
“The accommodations that the university can offer students will only last as long as most students are experiencing them,” he said.
“So having to raise your hand and say no, I need longer adaptations is harder, because you have to justify that we’re still affected by that, and it’s not over yet.”
After eight days of cold showers, confusion and total darkness, Petite said she is starting to feel helpless.
He said he hopes Hydro Ottawa and the city of Ottawa’s cleaning crews have not forgotten their neighborhood. So far, he said, he has not received any help from any of them.
“We don’t know when we will regain power,” Petite said.