Significant Hydro One Outage in Ontario
A significant hydro one outage has affected thousands of customers in Prescott and Russell, Ontario, following a freezing rainstorm that struck the region on March 11, 2026. The storm resulted in widespread power disruptions, with Hydro One reporting various levels of outages throughout the day.
At approximately 2:30 PM on March 11, 369 Hydro One customers in Rockland were without electricity. This number escalated by 7:30 PM, when 2,677 customers in Wendover, Plantagenet, Riceville, and Fournier lost power. By 11 PM, the situation improved slightly, with the number of affected customers decreasing to 175.
As of 2 PM on March 12, only 20 Hydro One customers remained without service. However, the situation worsened again, as more than 11,000 Hydro One customers were reported without power by 1 PM on the same day, primarily in the Bancroft area.
The freezing rainstorm, while less severe than initially projected, still caused significant outages. In addition to the power disruptions, a precautionary boil water advisory was issued for approximately 77,000 residents in part of the Gatineau sector after a treatment plant lost power.
In response to the storm, all western Quebec schools were closed on March 11, highlighting the widespread impact of the weather conditions. Hydro-Québec also reported that around 30,000 of its customers were without power earlier on March 12.
As recovery efforts continue, Hydro One has been working to restore power to affected customers. Officials have not yet provided a timeline for when full service will be restored. Details remain unconfirmed regarding the extent of damage caused by the storm and the ongoing restoration efforts.
