Entegrus crews restored power to more than 3,000 customers following a severe storm that moved through the region on the evening of July 3, bringing high winds that caused widespread damage to the electrical distribution system.
The storm resulted in multiple outages across the Entegrus service territory, including Chatham, Erieau, Thamesville, Tilbury, Wheatley, Blenheim and Ridgetown. Damage included downed trees, broken power poles, damaged power lines, and equipment damage.
At the peak of the event, more than 3,000 customers were without power. Crews began responding immediately, assessing damage, isolating affected sections of the system, making repairs, and restoring service wherever it was safe to do so.
Power was restored to customers in Erieau, Chatham, Thamesville and Tilbury during the evening of July 3. Restoration efforts continued overnight and throughout July 4 in Wheatley, Blenheim and Ridgetown, where more extensive damage required additional repairs.
- In Wheatley, approximately 567 customers were affected. Restoration required coordination with Hydro One due to the interconnected nature of the local electrical system. Service was restored to all affected customers by approximately 10:50 a.m. on July 4.
- Blenheim experienced some of the most significant damage, including multiple downed poles, damaged power lines, and equipment damage. Restoration to over 500 customers required planned switching to safely complete repairs and restore service to a large number of customers. Crews replaced a damaged pole, repaired damaged equipment, and responded to additional outages caused by tree limbs contacting power lines. All affected customers were restored by approximately 4:00 p.m. on July 4.
- In Ridgetown, approximately 65 customers were affected by trees contacting power lines and damaged equipment. Forestry crews worked alongside line crews to safely clear hazards and complete repairs before restoration was completed at approximately 1:00 p.m. on July 4.
Once restoration efforts were complete across the Entegrus service territory, available line crews were deployed to assist Hydro One with storm restoration efforts in neighbouring Chatham-Kent areas, supporting the restoration of power to neighboring customers affected by the storm.
During major restoration events, Entegrus follows a structured restoration process to safely restore power to the greatest number of customers as quickly as possible. Emergency situations are addressed first, followed by repairs that restore power to critical facilities and the largest number of customers. Where possible, crews also use planned switching to temporarily reroute power while repairs are completed, helping reduce the impact of extended outages. Customers can learn more about how power restoration works by visiting our website.
Entegrus thanks customers for their patience and understanding throughout the restoration effort.