Three Dead, Over 350K Without Power After Powerful Storm Hits Ontario


Three people were killed and more than 350,000 were left without power after an intense thunderstorm hit southern Ontario on Saturday afternoon.

The severe weather system left downed trees and downed power lines in its wake as emergency crews across the province were inundated with calls for help.

Tragedy first struck in Brampton, where police said a woman in her 70s was walking alone in the area of ​​Belmont Drive and Birchbank Road when a tree struck her.

Mubbsher Zaman was nearby when he said he saw two feet sticking out from under the branches.

“We keep telling the lady, ‘Don’t worry. She keeps breathing. Keep breathing,” Zaman told CTV News Toronto.

The woman was transported to the hospital where she was later pronounced dead.

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Then, hours later, provincial police said a tree fell on a camping trailer at the Pinehurst Lake Conservation Area near Kitchener, leaving one person dead and two others injured.

The deaths are not limited to the Greater Toronto Area. Ottawa police confirmed Saturday night that one person had died during the storm, although details of their death were not immediately released.

Provincial party leaders took to social media after the storm to offer their condolences to the friends and families of the victims.

During the height of the extreme weather event, the Toronto Fire said it received nearly 150 calls from people seeking help. At the same time, the Toronto Police Service (TPS) was forced to close its non-emergency service due to the influx of calls.

Const. Alex Li said that in a span of two hours, TPS received as many as 360 calls for service.

Deputy Fire Chief Tony Bavota told CP24 on Saturday that a firefighter was injured after being struck by a falling tree while responding to a 911 call and was transported to the hospital in stable condition.

At least one other person was seriously injured in downtown Toronto as high winds and rain lashed the city. Details of that incident are unclear, but Toronto Paramedic Services told CP24 that a woman in her 40s was transported to a trauma center as a result of her injuries.

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MORE THAN 350K WITHOUT CURRENT

At the time of writing, and according to Hydro Onemore than 350,000 people lost power after the storm.

The company said it is responding to power outages across the province and advised people to stay at least 10 meters from any downed power lines, even if they don’t appear to be live.

In Toronto, the exact number of people without power is unknown as Toronto Hydro outage map not available “as a result of the high volume of blackouts”

In a statement to CP24, the company said it was still assessing the extent of the damage and that equipment damaged during the storm could hamper restoration efforts.

“In many cases, trees and tree limbs need to be removed first to help make the area safe for our crews to work,” a spokesman said. “We remind our customers to stay safe, especially if they come across a downed power line.”

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WEATHER ALERT ISSUED

Environment Canada sent an alert to phones, television screens and radio stations across Ontario at approximately 12:45 p.m. warning residents to “take cover” as threatening weather approached.

The agency said the option to issue an emergency weather alert was included in its system last June, but this is the first time it has been used.

Authorities said they chose to use the watch because of strong winds near Kitchener that were expected to gust to 80 mph.

At Toronto Pearson Airport, winds were blowing at 120 kilometers per hour around 1 p.m.

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STATE OF EMERGENCY AT UXBRIDGE

Uxbridge has declared a local state of emergency after the town sustained significant damage as a result of the storm.

Officials said widespread power outages continue and many roads have been forced to close due to downed power lines and downed trees.

Images captured by CP24 show destruction on the ground with parked vehicles virtually totaled and surrounded by nearby destroyed structures.

Although not confirmed by Environment Canada, there have been reports online that a tornado touched down in the area and in the vicinity of Whitchurch-Stouffville.

Residents who spoke with CP24’s Bakari Savage said they expect the cleanup to take months.

Archived by Katherine DeClerq

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Reference-www.cp24.com

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