Hydro-Québec to restore service by days end

MONTREAL, Nov. 5, 2019  /CNW Telbec/ - Hydro-Québec believes that, by the end of the day, it will be able to restore power to all customers affected by Friday's storm, except for cases requiring major work. Thanks to the 1,500 workers out in the field, service has been restored to 98% of customers affected by the storm. At the height of the event, about 990,000 customers were without power.

On Tuesday at 3 p.m., the number of affected customers fell below 11,000. Note that the information shown on the Power outage page of our website includes all outages in Québec, not only those related to Friday's storm.

The main regions affected remain Estrie, Montérégie, Centre-du-Québec, Laurentides and Chaudière-Appalaches.

Hydro-Québec wishes to thank Quebecers 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.

Work in the field remains challenging for our crews. There are still hundreds of sites where we must carry out work, and many are in areas that are difficult to reach. These repairs, which can be lengthy, only restore service to a small number of customers.  Of the remaining outages, 85% affect fewer than 20 customers, and 50% affect fewer than three.

In some areas, complete sections of the power system must be rebuilt. In others, transformers and poles must be replaced. This means that equipment must be prepared and shipped from all over Québec.

Important safety information

For public safety, it is crucial that people stay away from power lines. Professionals are in the field right now to restore service.

We ask that motorists exercise caution near our worksites. We have been informed of vehicles driving very quickly in close proximity to our employees as they work.

Also, outdoor equipment and devices must absolutely not be used indoors. 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 the loss of food stored in the freezer.

SOURCE Hydro-Québec