As of Monday March 31st, 2:30PM, Orillia, the Township of Oro-Medonte, the District of Muskoka, Orillia, and Peterborough remain in a state of emergency, and some areas may have to wait days for power to be restored.
Orillia OPP has released a video saying that there is a coordinated effort by Emergency Management Ontario, Global Medic, the Ontario Search and Rescue Volunteer Association, the Salvation Army, Team Rubicon and other associations who are conducting wellness checks throughout the region and providing assistance.
A news release from the City of Orillia states:
“While power has been restored to some areas of the City, this remains an active emergency. Trees and powerlines are still coming down across the City due to ongoing winds and unstable conditions. Many areas are still hazardous, and cleanup efforts are being delayed as a result. Do not go out unless absolutely necessary. Staying off the roads helps protect your safety and allows emergency crews to respond more effectively.”
Crews have been working around the clock and while many areas have had power restored, OPP say there may still be periodic service disruptions for repairs. Hydro One issued the following statement.
“It’s all hands on deck today as crews continue to work alongside our contractors to restore power to customers. There are currently approximately 370,000 customers without power and more than 460,000 customers have been restored since the start of the storm.
We anticipate it will take several days to restore all customers. The estimated time of restoration for each outage has been updated to reflect current conditions so that customers can make the right decision for their family based on the latest information. We won’t stop until every customer is restored.
Stay clear of any fallen power lines. If you spot a fallen line, keep at least 10 metres back, even if it does not appear to be live. Report it to Hydro One at 1-800-434-1235.
Hydro One prioritizes restoration in a way that brings power back to the greatest number of customers in the shortest period of time. Crews need to repair and rebuild main lines along with other key pieces of electricity infrastructure before repairs can be made to power lines that serve smaller numbers of customers.”
Reporting Information:
• To report or check on power outages, contact Hydro One:
o Online: hydroone.com/outages
o Text “outage” to 92887 (WATTS)
o Call 1-800-434-1235
In Gravenhurst, thousands are still without power and Elexicon Energy say that while many will have service restored by the end of the day, some residents may not have power until Friday or even later.
Elexicon issued a statement to 705BLACKFLY.COM saying:
“At approximately 11 a.m. on Saturday, Elexicon Energy’s Storm Incident Management Team declared a State of Emergency in the Town of Gravenhurst due to the damage the storm caused on our infrastructure in the community.
Approximately 5,800 customers are currently without power in the community. Elexicon Energy crews, contractors and damage assessors continue their efforts to restore power as safely and as quickly as possible.
We are planning to have the majority of these customers (approx. 80 per cent) restored by end of day today. The remaining customers – rural and islands – will take at least a week or longer to restore given the damage.
Elexicon’s Power Restoration Page: https://elexiconenergy.com/power-restoration-update”
Lakeland Power and Alectra are also contending with widespread outages in the 705. High winds that could cause damaged trees and branches to fall are hampering repair efforts. An Environment Canada warning of northwesterly winds gusting to 50 km/h remains in place for many regions of the 705.
In Gravenhurst, a warming centre had been set up at the Centennial Centre but it had to be moved to the council chambers at the municipal offices this morning due to a generator issue. The warming centre will be open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. until further notice. Gravenhurst has posted a resource directory for residents. The District of Muskoka also has a page designated for updates.
Huntsville’s Public Works crews are also continuing to clear fallen trees and debris. A news release from the town states that they are prioritizing plowing, salting, and sanding as well as responding to service calls. Residents are advised to take caution as winds could cause additional damage to trees and utility lines, further complicating regional cleanup efforts.
The OPP is reminding everyone that downed power lines and trees continue to cause issues throughout many areas. The public is urged to stay a minimum of 10 meters away from all downed lines as there is no way to tell whether the wire is live. Be aware of your surroundings and avoid walking close to trees as many are heavily damaged and unstable. There remains significant amounts of debris scattered across many roads and there remains many road closures due to surface water, debris, downed trees and power lines. If you encounter downed trees or power lines, do not call 911 unless it is a life-threatening emergency.
