UPDATED OCT. 20 5:40 P.M.
Most power outages from Thursday’s winter storm should be fixed by midnight.
“We appreciate everyone’s patience as crews have been working through this heavy, wet snow today,” says Hydro One’s Tiziana Baccega-Rosa. “They have restored 12,000 customers since this morning, and that number will continue to grow as we continue to work through the evening hours.”
As of the time of writing, around 3,800 Hydro customers in Bracebridge, and 900 in Parry Sound are without power. Power is restored to almost all of Huntsville, barring a few cases.
According to Baccega-Rosa, only about 600 customers– all in Bracebridge– will be without power overnight, and should have the lights back on in the morning.
Baccega-Rosa says the two main power lines servicing Bracebridge were damaged and repaired several times, and are now back up.
Lakeland Power’s Brian Elliott says they’ve fully restored power in Parry Sound, and diverted resources to Bracebridge, with a few hundred customers still affected. He says the majority of customers should have power back this evening.
With many residents on electrical heating, Baccega-Rosa recommends keeping doors and windows tightly closed, and seeking shelter with a neighbour or at a community centre if temperatures are too low in your home.
She adds to stay at least 10 metres away from any downed power lines, even if they do not appear to be live. You can check estimated restoration times at Hydro’s outage map.