28K Manitoba Hydro customers without power after storm causes ‘extensive damage’

A powerful storm swept through Winnipeg and surrounding areas overnight, causing widespread damage and leaving around 28,000 Manitoba Hydro customers in the dark as of Thursday morning. Crews have been dispatched to assess the situation and begin the lengthy process of restoring power.

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The vast majority of (the affected customers) are in the city of Winnipeg and that’s where we’re seeing most of the extensive damage from trees on lines, lines down, whole power lines taken down.

Manitoba Hydro spokesperson Peter Chura described the damage as extensive, particularly within Winnipeg. "The vast majority of (the affected customers) are in the city of Winnipeg and that’s where we’re seeing most of the extensive damage from trees on lines, lines down, whole power lines taken down," Chura told 680 CJOB. The storm, which began around 10 p.m. Wednesday, brought winds exceeding 90 kilometers per hour and over 2,900 lightning strikes within a 50-kilometer radius of the city center.

While power has been restored to most affected customers in Brandon, outages persist in Winnipeg, Brandon, and around Portage la Prairie. Chura warned that customers should prepare for prolonged disruptions. "Customers who are out of power now should be prepared for an extended outage, throughout the day, at least, for sure. I anticipate there will be some out overnight, but we don’t know until later today."

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Customers who are out of power now should be prepared for an extended outage, throughout the day, at least, for sure. I anticipate there will be some out overnight, but we don’t know until later today.

Residents described significant damage. James Jordan, a Winnipeg resident, recounted seeing a large tree limb fall onto his truck and observed downed trees, toppled fences, and non-functional traffic lights in his neighborhood. "There’s a lot of damage in the area. The winds were really bad last night," Jordan said. Manitoba Hydro is urging the public to stay clear of downed power lines and report them immediately to 911.

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There’s a lot of damage in the area. The winds were really bad last night.