Thunderstorm leaves 18,000 without power in Brampton

BRAMPTON— A severe thunderstorm hit Brampton Friday evening, knocking down trees and power lines, leaving close to 18,000 homes without power across the city.

According to Hydro One, crews managed to restore power in most areas, but there are small pockets where work is still in progress.

“It was a very severe thunderstorm that hit the whole GTA region,” said Scott Miller, director of regulatory affairs and communications of Hydro One. “It brought down poles and trees, affecting close to 18,000 customers in Brampton.”

Earlier, Environment Canada issued Tornado warnings for the Ottawa, the Niagara Region, Hamilton and the GTA regions including Brampton, Mississauga and Toronto.

Later, the warning was lifted, but severe thunderstorm watch remained in effect for southern Ontario.

In Brampton, people witnessed trees and poles coming down and drivers were pulling their cars due to invisibility. Rain was coming down hard with gusty winds and a lot of lightning activity.

Miller said just after 5:20 p.m., Hydro One start receiving calls about the power outage. He said crews took immediate action and within an hour succeeded in restoring power for 70 percent of the houses.

He said the most affected area in Brampton was McLaughlin Road just north of Williams Parkway where more than 11,000 homes were without power, followed by north east corner of the city near Goreway area where another 6,000 homes experienced power outage.