(THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld/FILE)
Manitoba Hydro crews are working to restore power to thousands of customers across southern Manitoba following a severe windstorm Thursday and Friday.
The Crown corporation says the spring storm caused widespread damage to the electrical grid.
Wind gusts topping 100 km/h downed lines, snapped poles, sparked pole fires and sent trees onto lines, resulting in hundreds of outages. Some customers may be without power overnight as crews work to assess and repair the damage.
“Safety is our top priority, both for our employees and customers. In a severe weather event like this there are several potential hazards including downed power lines,” said Peter Chura, Manitoba Hydro media relations officer, in a release.
“Be safe: if you see a downed power line stay at least 10 metres away and call 911.”
Due to the scale of the event, Manitoba Hydro said it cannot provide updated restoration times but crews are working as quickly as safety allows.
Customers can report outages online at hydro.mb.ca or by calling 1-888-624-9376.
