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43,000 Hydro One customers still without power

September 29, 2005 — About 43,000 Hydro One customers across Ontario are still without power this afternoon following severe damage to lines, poles and other equipment due to high winds and driving rain. Since midnight crews have made steady progress restoring power to over 50,000 customers, however many have lost power again as the windstorm continues. A majority of customers should have their service restored by late tonight although some will not have power back until Friday.

Hardest hit areas are Bracebridge, Huntsville, Kingston, and Bancroft. Restoration efforts are being hampered in some areas by 60-70 kilometre/hour winds that are restricting use of helicopters.

Much of the damage to the distribution system has been caused by falling trees and branches. Had the storm hit several weeks later when most leaves are off the trees, damage would likely have been much less. Leaves act as wind resistance, resulting in more strain on branches.

At the height of the storm over 70,000 Hydro One customers were out of power. Many poles have been broken and a lot of other electrical equipment such as conductor, insulators, switches and transformers has been damaged. Much of this devastation is in off-road, inaccessible locations.

Hydro One has mobilized all available lines and forestry crews and dispatched them to hard hit areas. Over 1,500 personnel have been involved in the restoration effort.

Updates will be provided to media throughout the afternoon and evening. For most recent information on power outages go to www.HydroOneNetworks.com.

The public is advised to stay away from downed power lines.

Hydro One owns and operates Ontario's 28,400 kilometre high-voltage transmission network that delivers electricity to large industrial customers and municipal utilities, and a 122,000 kilometre low-voltage distribution system that serves about 1.2 million end-use customers and smaller municipal utilities in the province. Hydro One is wholly owned by the Ontario Government.

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For more information, contact Hydro One Media Relations 24 hours a day at 1-877-506-7584 (toll-free in Ontario only) or 416-345-6868. Our Web site is www.HydroOne.com.