70% to 80% of customers will be reconnected by Saturday, says Hydro-Québec
A tree fell and caused damage to two cars in Hochelaga.
Between 70% and 80% of people affected by power outages caused by the ice storm will have electricity restored by Saturday. This is what Hydro-Québec estimated Thursday morning during a press conference reporting on the situation. A third of customers without power will be reconnected by midnight Thursday evening, the state-owned company also pointed out.
“The weather will be milder today, so we are aiming for a rate of 300,000 to 350,000 customers who will have electricity again by midnight Thursday and we are targeting the same rate of 300,000 to 350,000 customers restored for Friday. midnight, specifies the vice-president of operations and maintenance, Régis Tellier. It's going to be two big days, with teams working day and night with 16 hours of work. By Saturday, 70 to 80% of people will have power, but it will stretch in the more difficult to access regions.
The Hydro-Québec team specifies that the restoration of power will be done according to public health priorities. Areas where hospitals, clinics or CHSLDs are located will be targeted first, as well as pumping stations in certain municipalities in Quebec.
Plus de 1 million de clients sont en #panne ce matin à la suite de l’épisode de pluie verglaçante de mercredi. Les travaux se sont poursuivis au courant de la nuit et aujourd'hui, nous pouvons compter sur 1000 employés terrain. Malgré une importante force de frappe, comme… pic.twitter.com/ubL57w5b9J
— Hydro-Québec (@hydroquebec) April 6, 2023
Invitation to collaborate
Hydro-Québec invites the population of Montreal with cars to collaborate to help its teams work more efficiently in places where trees or branches have fallen on power lines.
“I want to tell you that we have on the ground all the financial, human and technical means to restore power to everyone, says the president and CEO of Hydro-Québec, Sophie Brochu. I thank you in advance for your patience, but I ask for help from those who have cars parked near the sidewalks. Our teams are having difficulty approaching wires and trees due to vehicles, so we ask that you move when our teams are in your area to make our work easier.”
She reminds also that trees that have fallen to the ground or are in the process of falling represent a danger, and that they must not be touched in any way to move them.
A total of 1,100 Hydro- Quebec are on the ground. Teams from Bas-Saint-Laurent and Saguenay came to Montreal to speed up the restoration of power.
