Wild weather hits Muskoka - again

MUSKOKA - Just one week after high winds left thousands of people without power, Muskoka was again plunged into darkness by a violent thunderstorm that cut across the region on Wednesday afternoon.
The storm caused major damage to Hydro One’s distribution system, and falling trees wreaked havoc on homes, cottages and vehicles throughout the area.
Yesterday morning, Daniele Gauvin, Hydro One spokesperson, said at its peak the storm left some 150,000 customers across the province without power. Of those, roughly 12,000 were from the Bracebridge area and just under 200 were in Huntsville. No significant power outages were reported in Gravenhurst.
By yesterday morning, approximately 3,000 homes in the Bracebridge area remained without power.
Gauvin said hydro likely won’t be fully restored to all customers until at least late Saturday. More than 1,300 hydro workers and six helicopters are working to restore hydro across the province, she added.
In terms of property damage, the Muskoka Lakes region appears to have been particularly hard hit.
“We had crews out from one end of the township to the other,” said fire chief Richard Hayes. “Walker’s Point was hit particularly bad, Milford Bay was hit pretty bad, and up around Bala they took some damage. Basically it tracked northeasterly and then on into Bracebridge.”
Hayes said the fire department was called out to multiple incidents, including a tree that landed on a garbage truck in Walker’s Point and another tree that struck a vehicle on Acton Island. One person was transported to hospital; their condition was unknown at press time.
Several homes and cottages were also battered in Muskoka Lakes.
“The side that was facing the oncoming storm took the brunt of it,” said Hayes. “I did hear one report, although I didn’t see it personally, of a roof that was taken off. There are some homes that now have new ornaments inside them, like big trees.”
Hayes said the area around Moon River Road was hit with extensive damage and multiple “big mature trees” were strewn across the road and entangled in hydro lines.
Both Hayes and Hydro One strongly cautioned residents to stay away from downed power lines and the trees adjacent to them.
“They could get powered up at any time and if you’re in the wrong place at the wrong time you will get electrocuted,” he said.
Bracebridge also took the storm head on, but reports indicate less property damage.
“We got off really lucky,” said Bracebridge fire chief Murray Medley, citing unconfirmed reports that a tornado might have touched down in Minden. “In the span of an hour and a half we received about a dozen calls, all of them minor in nature. There was a lot of branches and brush down all over the place, but we didn’t see any major damage while we were out.”
Medley reported that the fire department received no reports of people trapped in vehicles and no injuries.
Ron Walton, head of Bracebridge’s public works department, said there was property damage in Bracebridge “here and there,” and public works crews were still busy yesterday cleaning up the mess.
The Gravenhurst Fire Department reported just two calls related to the storm. Both were for downed hydro lines and no injuries or extensive property damage was reported.

Small - Large
|
Print
|
Email
|
|