Hydro One preparing for potential impact of severe windstorm in Southern Ontario

TORONTO, Nov. 11, 2015 /CNW/ - Hydro One's crews across southern Ontario are preparing to respond to any outages that may occur due to potential severe windstorm activity tomorrow.

The Company's Ontario Grid Control Centre is monitoring the weather as it progresses and is following normal procedures in advance of any potential major outages caused by this type of weather system.

As with any outage, Hydro One's crews will endeavour to quickly and safely restore power to affected customers. Hydro One prioritizes work in such a way that restores power to the largest number of customers in the shortest period of time. 

Last Friday, over 112,000 Hydro One customers across southwestern and central Ontario were affected by a windstorm. Hydro One crews along with mutual assistance partners worked for over four days to restore customers. 

What to do in 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.  Safety is at the core of everything Hydro One employees do. Not only are our crews trained in First Aid, every Hydro One vehicle is equipped with a First Aid kit.

Tracking power outages

For outage updates, download Hydro One's free mobile app on smartphone and tablet devices. Customers can check the status of power outages anywhere in Hydro One's service area and receive helpful tips and news.

Household preparedness

Hydro One wants to remind you and your family of the importance of being prepared in case of an extended power outage caused by severe weather.

Our emergency preparedness video is a great tool to help ensure you and your family are prepared in the event of an extended outage.

An emergency preparedness kit should include:

• Water (recommend 2L per person/day)
• Canned or dried food that won't spoil
• A manual can opener
• Cash
• Windup or battery powered flashlight
• Windup or battery powered radio
• Extra batteries for your flashlight and radio
• Any medical items you require
• Blanket
• Candles and matches
• First aid kit
• Hydro One's emergency power outage hotline number – 1-800-434-1235. Ensure you have at least one corded phone at home; a cordless phone will not work in a power outage.
• Fully charged cell-phone

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

About the Company

The Company is Ontario's largest electrical transmission and distribution utility with approximately $23 billion in assets and 2014 revenues of over $6 billion. The Company's regulated transmission and distribution operations are owned by Hydro One Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company.  Hydro One Inc. delivers electricity safely and reliably to over 1.2 million customers across the province of Ontario, and to large industrial customers and municipal utilities.  Hydro One Inc. owns and operates Ontario's approximately 29,000 km high-voltage transmission network and an approximately 122,000 circuit km primary low-voltage distribution network. 

To embed the video on your website, use the following: <iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/Mghrs9g37Fo" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>  

SOURCE Hydro One Inc.

Video with caption: "Video: Emergency Preparedness Tips". Video available at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mghrs9g37Fo&feature=youtube_gdata

contact Hydro One Media Relations 24 hours a day at 1-877-506-7584 (toll-free in Ontario only) or 416-345-6868. Our website is www.HydroOne.com.