Multiple power outages in London after fierce thunderstorm tears through southern Ontario
Many people are still cleaning up debris while others remain without power in London, Ont. Sunday after a powerful severe thunderstorm rolled through southern Ontario Saturday.
According to London Hydro, 38 outages in the London area remain Sunday afternoon.
Affected areas include Huron Heights, Oakridge, Airport, Masonville, East London, North London, Highland, Lambeth, Carling, Woodfield, Old East Village, South London, Glen Cairn, Central London, Hamilton Road and Southcrest.
On Saturday, 32,000 customers lost power, while that number has now decreased to approximately 2,500. Old East Village is the site of the largest power outage, where more than 500 customers remain without power.
“Because of the intensity of the storm, there is a severe damage in some areas, which means cleaning up trees and downed lines in order to get the power back on,” said Nancy Hutton, a spokesperson with London Hydro.
A London Hydro truck is seen on May 22, 2022 after a severe thunderstorm tore through the region and toppled trees and downed power lines. (Brent Lale/CTV News London)
Hutton added that the amount of damage and downed trees and power lines are compounding the restoration of power, so it’ll take longer to resolve the outages for the remaining 2,500 customers.
The City of London is working to clear streets of fallen trees in order to get hydro trucks in.
“London Hydro said that they're starting but there's not much of a chance we're gonna get hydro today. It means go borrow a generator from a friend and hope that we can save some of the food in the fridge,” said Princess Avenue resident Michael Jarvie.
London Ward 4 Coun. Jesse Helmer also tweeted Sunday morning, “Thank you to the crews working to restore power and to neighbours who are helping each other out.”
According to Environment Canada, more than 350,000 customers across the region lost power during Saturday’s storm, and many of those outages still remain into Sunday.
Meanwhile, Hydro One tweeted out Saturday night that they “anticipate it will take several days to restore power after today’s destructive storm.”
For east London resident Michael Lewis, a fallen tree crushed his fence. Like many Ontarians, his next steps are to reach out to his insurance company.
“When we do, we hope to get a claims assessor up to see where we stand. We are very hopeful of course this tree will be on city property and consequently be handled by the city,” he said.
A massive tree broke off and landed on this house on Princess Ave. in London, Ont. after severe thunderstorms on May 21, 2022. (Brent Lale/CTV News London)
How the storm impacted the rest of the province
While the peak wind gusts in London during Saturday’s storm are not currently known, Environment Canada provided information on the observed peak wind gusts in neighbouring cities.
- Kitchener-Waterloo Airport – 132 km/h
- Toronto Pearson International Airport – 120 km/h
- Ottawa International Airport – 120 km/h
- Guelph – 83 km/h
Across the region, the storm has claimed the lives of at least eight people.
One woman in Brampton was killed by a falling tree, another person was killed when a tree fell on their camping trailer at Pinehurst Lake Conservation Area, near Kitchener, and two more people died in Ottawa after being struck by falling trees.
Police confirmed Sunday that three more people died by fallen trees in Port Hope, North Kawartha Township and Ganaraska Forest.
An eighth person died in Quebec after their boat capsized in the Ottawa River.
— With files from CTV News London's Brent Lale and CTV News Toronto
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Young people 'tortured' if stolen vehicle operations fail, Montreal police tell MPs
One day after a Montreal police officer fired gunshots at a suspect in a stolen vehicle, senior officers were telling parliamentarians that organized crime groups are recruiting people as young as 15 in the city to steal cars so that they can be shipped overseas.
'It was joy': Trapped B.C. orca calf eats seal meat, putting rescue on hold
A rescue operation for an orca calf trapped in a remote tidal lagoon off Vancouver Island has been put on hold after it started eating seal meat thrown in the water for what is believed to be the first time.
Man sets self on fire outside New York court where Trump trial underway
A man set himself on fire on Friday outside the New York courthouse where Donald Trump's historic hush-money trial was taking place as jury selection wrapped up, but officials said he did not appear to have been targeting Trump.
Sask. father found guilty of withholding daughter to prevent her from getting COVID-19 vaccine
Michael Gordon Jackson, a Saskatchewan man accused of abducting his daughter to prevent her from getting a COVID-19 vaccine, has been found guilty for contravention of a custody order.
Mandisa, Grammy award-winning 'American Idol' alum, dead at 47
Soulful gospel artist Mandisa, a Grammy-winning singer who got her start as a contestant on 'American Idol' in 2006, has died, according to a statement on her verified social media. She was 47.
She set out to find a husband in a year. Then she matched with a guy on a dating app on the other side of the world
Scottish comedian Samantha Hannah was working on a comedy show about finding a husband when Toby Hunter came into her life. What happened next surprised them both.
B.C. judge orders shared dog custody for exes who both 'clearly love Stella'
In a first-of-its-kind ruling, a B.C. judge has awarded a former couple joint custody of their dog.
Saskatoon police to search landfill for remains of woman missing since 2020
Saskatoon police say they will begin searching the city’s landfill for the remains of Mackenzie Lee Trottier, who has been missing for more than three years.
Shivering for health: The myths and truths of ice baths explained
In a climate of social media-endorsed wellness rituals, plunging into cold water has promised to aid muscle recovery, enhance mental health and support immune system function. But the evidence of such benefits sits on thin ice, according to researchers.