Freezing rain and thunderstorms pounded sections of Ontario and Quebec on Wednesday, knocking out electricity to approximately 800,000 people, according to authorities.
More than 676,000 of Quebec’s 4.5 million customers were without power shortly after 5 p.m., according to the province’s power utility, as much of the province stayed under a freezing rain alert.
“The outages are caused by a combination of precipitation and wind,” said Hydro-Québec spokesperson Gabrielle Leblanc. “It suffocates the vegetation.” Branches and trees may collapse on the power wires.”
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More than 316,000 consumers in Montreal were without power, while 171,000 residents in the Montérégie area, south of the city, were without power.
There were multiple complaints of downed branches in Montreal. The Victoria Bridge, which links Montreal to its southern suburbs, was closed due to weather conditions, according to Transport Quebec.
François Bonnardel, Minister of Public Security, said his agency has established a command center to cope with the hurricane.
