FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 24, 2019
Oshawa, ON – Oshawa Power’s electricity supply may be impacted due to extreme gusts of wind at 90 km/h up to 110 km/h expected later today. It is anticipated that power interruptions will occur due to the severity of current weather conditions. Please be advised that Oshawa Power is available and ready to ensure public safety however the severe winds pose a safety risk to our workers and will challenge our efforts to restore power quickly. Our trained responders will make every effort to restore power safely and as quickly as possible.
Harsh gusts of wind impact your power as they can damage power lines and/or cause their surrounding environment damage. Exposure to high winds can weaken trees, which can fall on top of powerlines temporarily suspending power.
Please take caution if you see a fallen tree limb or fallen powerlines. Downed powerlines may be energized and are dangerous. If powerlines are down, assume they are active and 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.
If you identify a potential tree hazard that needs to be addressed please contact us using our message form, https://www.oshawapower.ca/contact-us/ and provide us with details. We will send out a crew to address the potential hazard.
Oshawa Power reminds customers to be prepared for power outages before the power goes out. The City of Oshawa 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.
If you experience an outage, follow the updates on Twitter and Facebook, @oshawapower. To view a live update of current outages, visit the outage map at https://www.oshawapower.ca/outages.
This storm is expected to continue into the Monday morning commute and Oshawa Power would like to caution drivers to be aware of our crews on the road and be safe.
About Oshawa Power: Oshawa Power provides safe, reliable and efficient electricity distribution services to over 58,000 customers in the City of Oshawa. For more information visit www.oshawapower.ca.
