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Niagara Falls
Wednesday, March 27, 2024
Strong winds cause downed trees, power outages

 

 

Niagara saw some wicked weather on Halloween.

High winds caused downed trees and branches around NOTL on Friday morning after Thursday's intense weather.

Several outages were reported along Lake Ontario, particularly on Lakeshore Road, McNab Road and Firelanes, said NOTL Hydro president Tim Curtis.

Hydro workers were out Thursday night fixing the damage and were busy restoring power all Friday morning, Curtis told The Lake Report.

“It was multiple outages, not just a big one, so you got to fix each one of them. One at a time,” he said.

Curtis advised residents to stay away from a downed line as it may still be live.

“If you’re without power, feel free to call us, we can give you an update but our crews are out there working on it," he added.

There was minimal damage and town crews were also out cleaning up area roads, said the town's community engagement co-ordinator Lauren Kruitbosch.

Environment Canada had issued a wind warning and a special weather statement for Niagara on Thursday, warning residents of heavy rain and strong winds with gusts reaching up to 90 kilometres per hour.

The high winds and heavy rain have also caused significant flooding along Lake Erie.

Port Colborne experienced road closures, downed trees and power outages after the storm. The Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority issued a flood notice for residents living along Lake Erie shoreline. 

"Current water levels on Lake Erie at Port Colborne have exceeded the forecast elevations and have combined with significant wave heights in excess of two metres," water resources technician Ryan Kitchen said in a statement Friday. "Flooding of low-lying areas is occurring due to surge and significant wave heights."

"Residents are urged to use caution or stay away from the shoreline of Lake Erie."

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