Christmas storm: some 5,000 customers in the dark after a week

Just over 5,000 customers still do not have electricity a week after the start of the storm that hit Quebec hard.

• Read also: Seven days in the dark for thousands of Quebecers

Friday morning, 5,092 residences were still plunged into darkness, according to the latest update from Hydro-Québec.

The Outaouais is now the most affected region with 1,703 households without power, followed closely by the Capitale-Nationale with 1,061 outages. The Laurentians still count 922 customers in the dark.

The Côte-Nord still has 417 families without power, Estrie, 375, Mauricie, 351, and Bas-Saint-Laurent, 211.

Thursday, about 1,300 Hydro-Quebec employees were mobilized to try to restore power across the province. Already about 97% of all affected homes had regained power by Thursday evening, the state-owned company said on its website.

“However, the challenge remains significant: power lines have ended up on the ground due to violent gusts or under the weight of broken tree branches. In addition, accessibility to the network is very difficult. The repairs, which are sometimes very long, only restore service to a small number of customers at a time.

Hydro-Quebec reminded that it is essential not to approach electrical wires that may have fallen to the ground and instead to dial 911 to secure the premises.

“Also, you absolutely must not use fuel-powered auxiliary lighting or heating devices, generators or portable stoves designed for the outdoors (barbecue) inside residences. The risk of asphyxiation and intoxication is significant,” insisted the company.