Approximately 215,000 customers without power as Toronto Hydro prepares for another long day of restoration

TORONTO, Dec. 23, 2013 /CNW/ - Toronto Hydro-Electric System Limited (Toronto Hydro) has restored 85,000 customers. It is reporting that approximately 215,000 customers are without power, which is down from the 300,000 impacted during the height of the storm.

The damage caused by fallen trees and limbs continues to delay restoration efforts. Crews are discovering multiple limbs on powerlines and in some cases, trees and ice are preventing crews from accessing roadways. Due to the severity of the damage, the estimated time of restoration has been revised. Toronto Hydro expects restoration efforts to continue into the weekend.

Toronto Hydro has restored some critical customers, including Toronto East General Hospital, Humber River Regional Hospital, Horgan water treatment plant, Richview pumping station, and Yorkdale subway station.  There are still some critical customers without permanent power and we are working with these customers on restoration plans and are refuelling generators as needed.

Toronto Hydro has every available crew on shift, as well as additional forestry crews provided by the City of Toronto to help with the removal of downed trees this morning.

Toronto Hydro has also requested assistance from southern Ontario utilities. Due to the severity of the storm, neighbouring utilities have been impacted, and must restore power to their customers before crews can be reassigned to aid.

For more information about household items to have on hand during a lengthy outage, please visit torontohydro.com/poweroutage

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Image with caption: "Toronto Hydro at Work: ice storm restoration efforts - Islington Avenue. Toronto Hydro's forester Dave Knight works high above to clear frozen tree limbs on Islington Avenue, south of Eglinton Avenue. Much of the restoration so far has been cleanup which has to be done before electrical repairs can be completed. (CNW Group/Toronto Hydro Corporation)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20131223_C6522_PHOTO_EN_35242.jpg

SOURCE: Toronto Hydro Corporation

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Toronto Hydro-Electric System Limited.   
C: 416-903-6845