Oshawa – Environment Canada is warning that an ice storm is likely this weekend in the Oshawa area.  Freezing rain is expected Saturday afternoon and continue into Saturday evening.  Freezing rain may become mixed with or turn over to ice pellets at times, with some areas receiving a few centimetres of the ice pellet mess.

It is expected that it will persist into Sunday.  Ice buildup of 10 to 20 mm appears quite likely across the region by Sunday morning. Ice accretion may be considerably less in areas very close to Lake Ontario as temperatures there may actually remain very close to the freezing mark.

Ice accumulations of this magnitude combined with gusty northeast winds to 60 km/h may result in widespread power outages due to fallen tree limbs and power lines.

Downed powerlines may be energized and are dangerous. If powerlines are down, stay at least 10 metres away (the length of a school bus), and call 911 immediately. To report outages, Oshawa Power customers should call 905-723-4623.

Oshawa Power will continue to monitor this storm.  Our field crews and emergency team are on high alert and prepared to respond.

Oshawa Power is also proactively coordinating with the Electrical Safety Authority to streamline the repair process for customers who may incur damage to their meter mast as a result of the storm. If a customer’s electrical equipment is damaged, customers need a Licensed Electrical Contractor to make repairs before Oshawa Power can safely restore power.  Learn more here

If you experience an outage you can follow our updates on Twitter  or Facebook @oshawapower or monitor our outage map at www.oshawapower.ca/outages .

Oshawa Power is encouraging customers to be prepared for power outages before the power goes out. Emergency Management Ontario and local emergency responders recommend that residents prepare and plan to be self-sufficient for 72 hours in an emergency situation.

• Please make sure that you have flashlights and batteries available.
• Do not use charcoal or a gas barbecue, camping heating equipment or portage generators indoors as they produce deadly carbon monoxide gas.
• Before you leave home, please do walkthrough of your home just as you would when going on vacation and make sure all appliances are turned off such as stoves, ovens, coffeemakers, etc.

Stay safe and informed.

About Oshawa Power:

Oshawa Power provides safe, reliable and efficient electricity distribution services to over 58,000 customers in the City of Oshawa.  Oshawa Power is part of the Oshawa Power and Utilities Corporation family of companies.

Oshawa Power and Utilities Corporation is the holding company for a diversified group of four subsidiaries involved in energy distribution, telecom ventures, clean power generation and solar energy generation.  Oshawa Power and Utilities Corporation is wholly owned by the Corporation of The City of Oshawa.

Media Inquiries:
Sheila Risorto
Marketing and Communications
Oshawa Power
w‐905‐723‐4626 ext 5243
c‐905‐439‐1930
srisorto@opuc.on.ca