Get ready for Ontario outages from ice storms, thunderstorms, tornadoes and heat, with Hydro One reporting steps and the alert tools to set up.
- Know whether Hydro One or a local utility serves you, and sign up for text outage alerts before a storm.
- Ice storms cause the longest outages, so prepare a warm room and never use fuel burning devices indoors.
- Turn on emergency alerts on your phone and keep a battery radio.
Ontario outages come in every season. Freezing rain and heavy snow load lines and trees in winter, severe thunderstorms and tornadoes hit in summer, and heat waves can strain both people and equipment. Because the province is large, the company that serves you depends on where you live, so the first step is simply knowing who to call.
Below are the official tools to set up, a plan for each season, and a short kit that handles most outages of a few hours to a few days.
Who to call and where to look
In rural and small town Ontario the utility is often Hydro One. In many cities a local distribution company serves the area instead, such as Toronto Hydro or Hydro Ottawa, so check your bill. Hydro One lets you report an outage online, by phone at 1-800-434-1235, by text to 92887 (WATTS) or through its mobile app. Its Storm Centre outage map at stormcentre.hydroone.com shows active and planned outages and refreshes about every 10 minutes. Selecting an outage shows the number of customers affected, crew status, the cause if known, and an estimated restoration time that can change once crews see the damage.
You can also sign up for outage text alerts through your online account. Do this now, not during the storm. Our alerts and outage reporting guide explains how to combine utility tools with weather alerts.
Emergency alerts
Alert Ready is Canada's national public alerting system. It delivers urgent alerts through television, radio and compatible wireless devices, with a distinctive tone. Check that emergency alerts are switched on in your phone settings. Alerts for tornadoes, severe storms and evacuations arrive this way. Pair it with a weather radio or the weather app you trust, and keep a battery or hand-crank radio for when cell networks are busy.
Winter: freezing rain and snow
Ice storms are the Ontario hazard that causes the longest outages, because ice builds up on branches and wires and can bring them down across a wide area. Roads become hazardous and crews need time to reach every location.
- Stay off the roads and stay away from sagging trees and wires. Treat every downed line as live and keep at least 10 metres (33 feet) away.
- Choose one room to heat with body warmth and blankets, and never run a generator, barbecue or camp stove indoors or in an attached garage.
- Know where your main water shut-off is in case pipes freeze.
Read the ice storm power outage guide and the winter storm checklist for more.
Summer: thunderstorms, tornadoes and heat
Strong storms can knock out power in minutes. When a warning is issued, move to a sturdy interior space away from windows. After the storm, watch for flooded basements: do not step into standing water if the electrical panel or outlets may be underwater, and call a qualified electrician. The severe thunderstorm and tornado guide has the steps.
In a heat wave, an outage means no fans or air conditioning. Use shade, cool cloths, lots of water and a cooler room, and check on neighbours and older relatives. See the heat wave outage guide.
A simple Ontario kit
- About 4 litres (1 gallon) of water per person per day for at least three days. Use the water storage guide.
- Food that needs no cooking, and a manual can opener.
- Headlamps and spare batteries, medications, cash and paper copies of key phone numbers.
- A small battery power station to keep phones and medical devices alive. Start with the outage planner.
Print the 72-hour checklist and keep it with your kit. If you live in an apartment, our apartment guide covers elevators, stairs and shared spaces.
After the power comes back
Restoration is not always instant or tidy. Power may flicker on and off, and surges can damage electronics. Wait a few minutes before reconnecting major appliances, and turn them on one at a time so the system is not hit with all the load at once. Check your fridge and freezer against the food safety rules before eating anything questionable, and when in doubt, throw it out. Reset clocks, thermostats and medical equipment, and top up your water, batteries and phone charge right away in case the outage returns. Take notes on what you ran short of, then fix those gaps while the memory is fresh.
Quick answers
How do I report an outage to Hydro One?
Report online, call 1-800-434-1235, text 92887 (WATTS) or use the mobile app. Customers of a local city utility should use that utility's own number.
What is Alert Ready?
Canada's national alerting system. It sends urgent alerts to TV, radio and compatible phones, so make sure emergency alerts are enabled on your device.