Winter storms continue to cause massive disruptions during the holiday season. With dangerously cold temperatures and icy roads, authorities are asking Canadians to stay home.
And as airlines announce mass cancellations, travellers either find themselves stranded or face long delays. But it turns out that even those who stayed at home weren’t spared.
The storm has left over 395,000 Canadians without power, according to the latest numbers by Generac, an American manufacturer of backup power generation products.
Nova Scotia and New Brunswick both have less than 2,000 reported outages each, while in BC, that number is over 7,500. In Ontario, that number is 10 times as high with nearly 78,000 outages.
However, no other province right now has it as bad as Quebec with over 300,000 outages.
“These outages occur when vegetation comes into contact with the grid following wind gusts or heavy snow accumulation,” reads a statement by Hydro Québec. “Due to the weather forecast for today and tomorrow, the number of customers without power could continue to increase. The Montérégie and Capitale-Nationale regions are currently the most affected.
“Our crews are working to restore service as quickly as possible.”
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The Weather Network just posted videos of the extreme weather conditions in Ontario and Quebec.
Blizzard conditions have set the stage for multiple collisions, thousands of power outages and numerous flight cancellation in Ontario and Quebec today: https://t.co/UIEhzTVzH8 #ONStorm #QCStorm pic.twitter.com/r1JihBrZF0
— The Weather Network (@weathernetwork) December 23, 2022
Public Safety Canada has tweeted a list of suggestions for how people can prepare before and during winter storms:
If #flooding is forecast in your area:
• Turn off basement furnace
• Turn off outside gas valve
• Shut off electricity
More info: https://t.co/3vn3JWw6SK pic.twitter.com/Ud0EieA9Uy— Public Safety Canada (@Safety_Canada) December 23, 2022