Massive power outage affects over 40,000 Hydro-Québec consumers on Tuesday evening.
Smocking Quebec: Thousands Caught in the Storm's Grasp
In a wild turn of events, Mother Nature's merciless onslaught took a heavy toll on Quebec last night as turmoil swept through various regions. The chaos, primarily affecting Montreal, Montérégie, Laurentides, Outaouais, and Lanaudière, left Hydro-Québec scrambling to restore power to tens of thousands of homes.
According to Hydro-Québec, their troops swiftly plunged into battle to get things back up and humming. At the zenith of the tempest, over 400 service disruptions had clobbered nearly 145,000 addresses, with Montreal earning the worst of it, hosting a staggering 60,000 blackouts. As the clock ticked by, Hydro-Québec's diligent efforts managed to curtail the number of outages.
Quebec's Minister of Business, Technology, and Energy, Christine Fréchette, didn't mince words when she took to Twitter. She declared the province was smack-dab in the middle of an adverse weather cocktail. She assured, nevertheless, that Hydro-Québec's tenacious warriors were working round-the-clock to swiftly restore power.
Yikes and Sighs: The Tribulations that Unfolded
Around the witching hour, a 15-year-old whippersnapper found himself gripped by a fallen tree in the Ahuntsic-Cartierville neighborhood. The brave firefighters performed a daring extraction and whisked the young lad off to the hospital, where doctors grew grim as they assessed his condition, according to the Montreal Police Service (SPVM).
The SPVM reported a myriad of material damages. The wall of an Air Canada structure, nestled in the Saint-Laurent borough, came tumbling down due to the fierce winds. Various power lines and branches joined the funland of chaos on Montreal Island throughout the night.
The power outages, of course, wrought havoc on traffic lights, with certain intersections grinding to a halt. The cops were dispatched to keep the traffic humming along.
The Darkness of the Storm, the Thunderous Warning
Throughout the evening, Environment Canada went bust hurling severe thunderstorm warnings at several Quebec regions. "A severe thunderstorm alert is issued when atmospheric conditions are promising for the birth of severe thunderstorms, at least one of which could muster: golf ball-sized hail, winds capable of wreaking havoc, or a downpour of biblical proportions," Environment Canada declared.
Their forecasts were adapted to each sector. For example, in the regions hugging Granby, Saint-Hyacinthe, Drummondville, and Victoriaville, the meteorologists at Environment Canada were eyeballing a fierce thunderstorm brewing, which could conjure up severe gusts, hail the size of a loonie, and a torrential downpour.
Worth Noting
Your friendly writer found a dearth of specifics about a major Quebec storm during October of any recent year in the available information. However, a quick peek at the adjoining happenings in Canada revealed a few pertinent insights:
- A Category 4 atmospheric river whizzed its way through British Columbia in October 2024, causing a whopping $110 million in insured damages, owing to flooding, sewer backups, and road closures. Hydro-Québec was nowhere to be seen, with the focus shifting on BC emergency declarations.
- In June–August 2023, tornadoes, microbursts, and hail storms caused over $30 million in damages in southwestern Ontario. Hurricane Hilary remnants triggered a further $110 million in destruction in August, with flooding and power outages. Hydro-Québec's role wasn’t mentioned in Ontario's events.
- Investigations of Montreal’s 2023 snowfall records reveal no October storm activity, with the season seeing minimal rainfall.
So there you have it — a hair-raising tale of Mother Nature's wrath in Quebec, as lightning cracked, the thunder boomed, and loss was sustained on many fronts. As the battle wages on, we stand by, eager to bring you updates on the war against chaos. Stay safe, Montrealeurs! And don't forget to give Hydro-Québec a hearty round of applause as they work tirelessly to restore power to the province.
- In a French-speaking province, the effects of the storm were particularly prominent in Quebec, where Hydro-Québec grappled with over 400 service disruptions.
- Reminiscent of a denationalized emergency service, the workers of Hydro-Québec fought ceaselessly to re-establish power, with the final tally showing nearly 145,000 addresses affected.
- The weather's havoc extended beyond electrical infrastructure, as the general-news outlets reported an assortment of material damages across various regions.
- Despite the upheaval, the Quebec government's resolve remained unwavering, with Minister Fréchette emphasizing that the storm was merely a testing ground for the resilience and tenacity of Hydro-Québec's workforce.
