The severe weather event has caused significant damage, power outages and service disruptions through the city. The worst hit areas are Huntsville, Merivale, Navan and Stittsville. The City is in enhanced operations for this incident and opened three emergency reception centres on Sunday, May 22 at 10 am:
- CARDELREC Recreation Complex Goulbourn, at 1500 Shea Road; it has power to charge your devices, washrooms, showers and snack machines
- Carleton Heights Community Centre, 1665 Apeldoorn Ave; it has power for charging devices
- Plant Recreation Centre, at 930 Somerset Street West; it has power for charging devices and showers
Additional locations may open as high priority community needs are identified. Do you know someone who is vulnerable and in need of assistance after yesterday’s severe storm? Check on them and, if needed, bring them to an emergency reception centre.
The City’s 3-1-1 call centre is experiencing very high call volume. Ottawa residents are asked to remain patient as workers respond to calls on a priority basis. Please only call 3-1-1 for urgent issues that are a threat to public safety.
The Hydro Ottawa crews are working diligently to ensure public safety and restore power as soon as possible. Power will be restored initially to large scale outages, followed by smaller ones, keeping safety as the number one priority. If you see a downed power line, stay at least 10 meters (the length of a school bus) away from the wires and from any objects that are in contact with the lines. The Hydro Ottawa outage map is available here.
If you’ve lost power, follow these steps to stay safe:
- Please reserve the use of 911 to situations where there is risk to public safety and life-threatening emergencies. If there is a downed power line with no injuries and no risk to public safety, please report it via the police non-emergency number at 613-236-1222 or by calling Hydro Ottawa at 613-738-0188.
- Listen to a battery powered radio to follow the news.
- Stay away from loose or dangling wires.
- If there is debris on your property, please refrain from putting it on the sidewalk.
- Turn off all lights, unplug appliances and electronics, and turn down heating system thermostats. This will help avoid a power surge when electricity is restored.
- If your house has a sump pump that does not have a backup power supply, clear valuable from the basement in case flooding occurs.
- If the doors are kept closed, food in freezers will keep for 24 to 48 hours without power, and food in refrigerators will keep for up to four hours. For more information about storing food and water during an emergency, visit the Canadian Food Inspection Agency(link is external) website.
- If you use a fireplace for heat, check chimneys for creosote build-up or debris. Do not leave the fire unattended.
- Close room doors to keep heat or cool air in a confined area.
- Use flashlights instead of candles. If you must use candles, place them in a non-combustible container away from drapes and carpet and never leave them unattended.
- Only use camp stove, and charcoal or gas barbeques outdoors.
- Only use generators outdoors. Exhaust fumes could lead to carbon monoxide poisoning if they are not properly vented. To prevent exhaust gases from entering the house, operate generators in well-ventilated conditions away from windows and doors, and be sure to follow the manufacturer’s instructions.
- Plug your appliances directly into the generator using properly rated Canadian Standards Association approved cords.
- Avoid elevator use.
Please visit the City of Ottawa website for further updates and available resources.