Hydro One crews prepare as potential ice storm threatens central and eastern Ontario

-Northern Ontario may see freezing rain and significant snow fall- 

TORONTO, Dec. 29, 2019 /CNW/ - Hydro One is gearing up to respond to a significant ice storm, heavy snow and high winds threatening most of Ontario. Freezing rain is expected to start in central and eastern Ontario this afternoon and continue into Monday. Ice accumulation on lines or other electrical equipment along with nearby tree limbs may cause damage resulting in power outages. While damage assessors along with lines and forestry crews are getting ready to respond, Hydro One is advising customers to be prepared for the potential of an extended outage.

"We have been tracking the incoming storm and are getting crews and equipment ready in the areas anticipated to be hardest hit," said Darlene Bradley, Acting Chief Operating Officer, Hydro One. "While our crews and customer service agents get ready to respond as quickly and safely as possible, we urge everyone to be prepared with an emergency kit and the tools to access the most up-to-date outage information."

Based on Hydro One's outage prediction tool, the company is getting crews ready to assess damage in order to restore power as quickly and safely as possible. An estimated time of restoration will be determined for each outage once damage has been assessed. Our outage tools will be up-dated every 10 minutes as information comes in from crews on-the-ground.

Hydro One prioritizes emergencies and restoration to bring power back to the largest number of customers in the shortest period of time.

Household preparedness

An emergency preparedness kit should include:

• Water and food that won't spoil for all family members, including pets
• A manual can opener
• Windup or battery-powered flashlight and radio
• Batteries and extended battery chargers
• Cash
• First aid kit and medical items
• Blankets
• Emergency numbers including Hydro One's power outage hotline, 1-800-434-1235
• Fully charged cell-phone or have at least one corded phone at home; a cordless phone will not work in a power outage

Keep your emergency kit in a backpack and make sure everyone in your home knows where to find it.

Stay safe during a power outage

If the power system in your area is affected by bad weather, be sure to 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 the police and call Hydro One at 1-800-434-1235. 

Tracking power outages

For outage information and updates, visit Hydro One's outage map or download the free mobile app. Customers can also sign up in advance for text or email notifications. These free tools allow customers to check the status of power outages anywhere in Hydro One's service area and receive helpful tips and news. Sign up at www.hydroone.com/outages.

About Hydro One Inc.:
Hydro One Inc. is a fully owned subsidiary of Hydro One Limited, Ontario's largest electricity transmission and distribution provider with almost 1.4 million valued customers, over $25.6 billion in assets and 2018 annual revenues of over $6.1 billion. Our team of approximately 8,600 skilled and dedicated employees proudly build and maintain a safe and reliable electricity system which is essential to supporting strong and successful communities. In 2018, Hydro One invested almost $1.6 billion in its 30,000 circuit kilometres of high-voltage transmission and 123,000 circuit kilometres of primary distribution networks and injected approximately $1.3 billion into the economy by buying goods and services in Ontario. We are committed to the communities where we live and work through community investment, sustainability and diversity initiatives. We are designated as a Sustainable Electricity Company by the Canadian Electricity Association. Hydro One Limited's common shares are listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: H).

SOURCE Hydro One Inc.