Flooding Causes Power Outages in Montreal After Tropical Storm Debby

Cars are moving slowly through flooded streets in Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue on the Island of Montreal after heavy rains hit the area recently. The downpour was severe, caused by the remnants of tropical storm Debby, and it has led to significant disruptions.

Tens of thousands of Hydro-Quebec customers are still facing power outages this Saturday morning. The storm was so intense that at one point, it left 500,000 customers in the dark, mainly due to flooding at three Hydro-Quebec power stations located in the South Shore and Montreal.

Hydro-Quebec spokesperson Louis-Olivier Batty reassured the public that everything has been cleared as of this morning, and the remaining outages now relate to trees or branches that have fallen on the electric grid. He mentioned that there are over 400 workers currently on the ground, working tirelessly to reconnect customers.

In a tweet, Hydro-Quebec shared that around 100 teams have been working overnight to restore power. Batty expressed hope that they would be able to restore power to most of the affected customers by the end of the day, although a few might still remain without power into Sunday morning.

The most impacted area currently is the Eastern Townships, with 329 outages affecting just over 42,000 people. Laval follows next, with just over 11,000 customers affected, and then Montérégie, which has over 8,000 outages. In Montreal itself, nearly 6,000 customers are without power.

In light of the flooding, Batty advised customers to cut off their electricity if their basements are flooded. He cautioned that even if a sump pump is working, it’s important to cut the power to avoid risks. For those with electric panels located in flooded areas, he urged them not to handle the situation themselves and to call Hydro-Quebec for assistance.