Thousands Left in the Dark After Friday Night Windstorm
Ottawa and the surrounding region faced a rough start to the weekend after powerful winds tore through eastern Ontario and western Quebec on Friday night, knocking out power to communities across the area.
Hydro crews from both provinces were deployed early Saturday morning and worked through the day to assess damage and restore electricity to affected households and businesses. The outages stretched across a wide swath of the region, hitting rural communities particularly hard where downed lines and fallen trees made restoration work slow and difficult.
What Caused the Outages
Strong wind events are one of the most common causes of widespread power disruptions in the Ottawa Valley. When gusts hit trees already stressed from the season's weather, branches and whole trunks can come down on power lines, causing cascading failures across the grid.
Friday night's winds were strong enough to trigger outages on both sides of the Ottawa River, affecting communities in Ontario — including areas east of Ottawa — as well as towns in western Quebec such as the Outaouais region.
Restoration Efforts Underway
Hydro One crews on the Ontario side and Hydro-Québec teams across the river coordinated throughout Saturday to prioritize the hardest-hit areas. Restoration after wind events typically follows a sequence: fix transmission infrastructure first, then work down to individual neighbourhoods and homes.
For residents in affected areas, the advice is familiar: report outages through your utility's app or website, avoid downed power lines entirely, and check on neighbours — especially elderly residents or those with medical equipment that depends on electricity.
If you lost food due to a prolonged outage, most utilities have a claims process, though reimbursement eligibility varies.
A Reminder About Storm Preparedness
Events like this are a good reminder to keep a basic emergency kit on hand. The City of Ottawa recommends having at least 72 hours of supplies ready, including water, non-perishable food, a flashlight, and a battery-powered or hand-crank radio.
As spring storm season ramps up across the region, it's worth double-checking that your kit is stocked and that you know how to report outages to your local utility.
Hydro One customers can report outages at hydroone.com or via the Hydro One app. Hydro-Québec customers can use the HQ outage map at hydroquebec.com.
Source: CBC Ottawa
