Hydro Ottawa says all customers are unlikely to be restored until Friday, nearly two full weeks after a severe storm ravaged the region.
Teams have been making constant repairs to power lines throughout the city since May 21st. About 180,000 Hydro Ottawa customers ran out of electricity immediately afterwards.
Now, only small pockets of residences run out of electricity, but some are expected to have to wait until Friday before teams can complete their work. As of Tuesday, officials said 3,000 customers of Hydro Ottawa were still suffering disruptions.
The next clock shows exactly how they have been without electricity.
It hasn’t been easy, said Jillian Brenner, who runs out of electricity at her Rockcliffe home. She has two young children, including one month old.
“I never thought I could spend so much time without energy,” he said. “I’m a little surprised it takes so long to put it back on, but I know they’re working really hard.”
Brenner and her husband have relied on the help of their parents, who live nearby. They also operated a generator 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, which they borrowed from their parents.
While there has been a lot of help, Brenner said running out of electricity all this time is “very cool.”
“It’s definitely been tough.”
Brenner’s neighbor Rina Eyre said she is used to being in the dark right now.
Rina Eyre says that at this time she has become accustomed to living without electricity, which has been extinguished since the May 21 storm. (Nicole Williams, CBC)
“I’ve lost count,” said the 80-year-old about how long her house has been without electricity. Eyre and her husband have no generator and have been relying on a flashlight to navigate the house throughout the night.
Everything in their fridge and freezer, both full of food, has long since been emptied.
When asked how she felt about spending a few more days without electricity, Eyre shrugged, summing it up as “uncomfortable” and said she was finally lucky to be safe and that the house at least had water. current.
During an official update Tuesday, Mayor Jim Watson said the city has received about 2,000 applications from those in need of financial aid after having to throw food because of the storm.
He said those in need of help can call 211 or 311 for more information on how to apply for financial aid.
Hydro Ottawa President and CEO Bryce Conrad also explained that delays in energy restoration are due to the fact that in some cases the damage to equipment such as transformers is so severe that it cannot be repaired. .
“We obviously need to turn it around and replace it. It only takes longer than it would otherwise,” Conrad said.
The company has described widespread lightning and wind storm damage as worse than the 1998 ice storm and 2018 tornadoes.