Residents north of Montreal face another night in dark due to ice, wind
Posted April 9, 2019 2:05 am.
Last Updated April 9, 2019 6:23 pm.
MONTREAL – More than 200,000 customers remained without power in Quebec Tuesday afternoon, and the province’s public security minister said most should prepare for a second night in the dark.
Genevieve Guilbault told reporters Tuesday in Quebec City that winds and snow were creating problems for the 425 Hydro-Quebec crews dispatched to hard hit regions. “There are heavy winds, and the weather isn’t amenable for this kind of work, so the vast majority should get power back early Wednesday,” Guilbault said.
Hydro-Quebec said that without an improvement in the weather, blackouts could last even longer for some customers. “The current weather is making restoration efforts difficult,” the utility said in a statement on its website. “As a result, the most severely affected areas might only see their service restored Thursday.”
Significant damage on the north shore. Approximately 360 crews will be in the field over the next few hours, including teams from our transmission network and private contractors. Also, #HydroSherbrooke teams will join us to speed up the work. #outages pic.twitter.com/ZZVWEeq1Uw
— Hydro-Québec (@hydro_customer) April 9, 2019
Hydro-Quebec said that without an improvement in the weather, blackouts could last even longer for some customers. “The current weather is making restoration efforts difficult,” the utility said in a statement on its website. “As a result, the most severely affected areas might only see their service restored Thursday.”
Hydro-Quebec reported about 213,000 customers were without power as of 4 p.m. EDT Tuesday, largely centred in the Laval, Lanaudiere and Laurentians regions. High winds and freezing rain rolled into the area north of Montreal on Monday, leaving ice accumulation on trees and knocking down power lines.
Quebec Premier Francois Legault called on people to exercise caution and get in touch with their towns if they need a place to stay. “There are many families in Quebec who risk spending a second night without electricity, so I’m asking everyone to be prudent,” Legault said.
@client_hydro teams are hard at work in #Laval where 70,000 people are still out of electricity after Monday’s freezing rain and strong winds pic.twitter.com/XLyvbWXTEQ
— Aimée Lemieux (@aimlemieux) April 9, 2019
Hydro-Quebec spokesman Louis-Olivier Batty said Monday evening that teams from regions less affected by the power outages had been called in as reinforcements.
Authorities in Laval urged residents to exercise caution after five people were sent to hospital in two separate incidents.
In one case, two adults and two children, 13 and 11, were sent to hospital after a barbecue was used inside a home. In the other, an adult male was transported to hospital. All are recovering.
Some 40% of Laval lost power in the past 24 hours. Community centre Lausanne is busy with children and the elderly seeking warmth. @BTCityNewsMTL pic.twitter.com/fta4up5eA4
— Emily Campbell (@E_K_Campbell) April 9, 2019
Hydro-Quebec said one the most affected regions was Laval, a densely populated suburb just north of Montreal, where a little more than a third of customers remained without power one day after the storm.
Officials said Tuesday that police were patrolling the city as phone service was down in some neighbourhoods. Sylvain Gariepy, operations chief for the Laval fire department, said firefighters went door-to-door to check on seniors and those most vulnerable.
Laval Mayor Marc Demers urged families and neighbours to look out for one another. “If you have members of your family _ parents, brothers, sisters _ who are in a zone that’s lacking electricity, check in on their situation to make sure we’re not forgetting someone in distress,” Demers said.
Gariepy warned people of the dangers of carbon monoxide poisoning from barbecues and generators. Four adults and five children were taken to hospital in three separate cases after using barbecues indoors or having generators too close to their homes.
Firefighters reported high levels of carbon monoxide in the homes in each case, but no major injuries were reported.
“Another family was taken to the hospital today _ three children and a mother,” Gariepy said Tuesday afternoon. “The problem we’re dealing with is people are putting barbecues in their house to heat or eat, they’re using propane stoves or putting generators too close to the house.”
Yellow alert
Weather conditions are impeding mail delivery in the Montréal, Que. region. While every effort is being made to deliver the mail, some customers may not receive mail today. Delivery will resume once it's safe to do so.— Canada Post Helps (@canadaposthelps) April 9, 2019
The City of Laval opened up two community centres for residents needing a place to stay warm, charge phones or have a shower. About 130 people were staying at the two temporary shelters. Numerous schools were closed in the region due to the lack of electricity.
Hydro-Quebec said it is deploying all available crews to re-establish service as quickly as possible.
-with files from CityNews Montreal