Hydro Ottawa president and CEO says he can’t keep a previous promise to restore power to most customers on Friday night.
During a Friday afternoon update, Bryce Conrad said bad weather is partly to blame for the slower-than-expected recovery from last weekend’s destructive and fatal windstorm.
Rain has fallen over the last day in Ottawa, and the forecast shows more rain with the risk of a thunderstorm over the weekend.
“It slowed down the crews,” Conrad said, adding that extensive damage and debris in some areas contribute to the delay.
Conrad said he was now reluctant to provide a new timeline, but said he hoped electricity would be restored to most customers in the coming days.
“I don’t want to make another time commitment,” he said. “The only commitment I can make is that the teams will be there.”
Neighbors can volunteer this weekend
Kim Ayotte, the city’s director of emergency services, said residents can begin volunteering this weekend to help with cleanup efforts.
The city will launch a program Clean the capital after the storm. Details on how to participate will be found on the city’s website later Friday, he said.
People can also volunteer with The Samaritan’s Purse, which will coordinate the removal of rubble from residents ’private property in the hardest-hit areas of the city. Volunteers will be asked to dress appropriately.
More information on this initiative can also be found later on Friday on the city’s website.
37,000 customers without electricity throughout the region
More than 37,000 customers in the Ottawa-Gatineau region, 29,000 customers in the Hydro Ottawa area, were still without electricity until 1 p.m. Friday.
More than 350,000 customers in the region initially lost electricity on Saturday. CBC counted about 150,000 on Tuesday morning, 115,000 on Wednesday morning and 90,000 on Thursday morning.
On Thursday, Hydro Ottawa officials said they were meeting Friday’s deadline to return energy to most residents, although they warned that wind, rain and possible storms could slow the forecast. this effort.
The mayor of Clarence-Rockland, Ontario, eastern Ottawa told the CBC News Network on Tuesday that he warned residents to prepare for a week without electricity.
Most local Hydro One customers have been told that electricity will be restored today.
Some of Ottawa’s tallest buildings still have no electricity, and some of the city’s most vulnerable residents are coming together to get out.
Some communities are opening emergency centers for people facing days without light and in need of help.
Ottawa now has 20 such centers open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.