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Nearly two-thirds of Toronto Hydro customers feel emergency preparedness is increasingly important now
Toronto Hydro is powering preparedness to help keep customers safe this winter season
TORONTO, Dec. 16, 2020 /CNW/ - With the winter season upon us, Toronto Hydro is reminding customers about the power of preparedness when planning ahead for emergencies such as power outages.
In a recent poll, nearly two-thirds (63%) of Toronto Hydro customers surveyed agreed that emergency preparedness is more important to them now compared to previous years. With extreme weather events expected to increase in the coming years, we're doing our part to prepare. However, we also want our customers to take action, especially as many of them may be spending more time at home this winter.
While our customers have been experiencing fewer power outages on average in recent years, outages can still happen from time to time, especially during severe weather.
What Toronto Hydro is doing to prepare:
- We've completed vulnerability assessments and are proactively preparing for extreme weather events by addressing how climate change could impact our infrastructure
- We factor climate impacts from extreme weather into our construction standards, system design, and maintenance processes to help us be better prepared to withstand and respond to extreme weather-related grid disruptions
- We continue to monitor weather patterns around-the-clock and are prepared to mobilize our crews whenever needed to respond to extreme weather-related power disruptions
- We're working with the City of Toronto to support its First Resilience Strategy – which focuses on people, neighbourhoods and infrastructure – to build a city that is resilient to climate change
While Toronto Hydro continues to take proactive steps to help harden the grid, extreme weather events such as wind, freezing rain and wet snow still have the potential to damage our equipment and lead to outages. That's why we want our customers to be prepared to be without power for up to 72 hours in case of a major emergency.
What customers can do to prepare:
- Download our Emergency Preparedness Guide – now available in eight languages – for a list of key resources, an emergency preparedness checklist, and tips on what to do before, during and after an outage
- Stock your emergency kit with essential items, including water, non-perishable food, a flashlight, a battery-powered or crank radio, extra batteries, a first aid kit and cash
- Keep your emergency kit in an easy-to-access location known to all family members
- Customize your kit to your family – aging parents, young children and pets may require special preparation
- Check your kit twice a year to replace any items you've used or that may be out-of-date
For more emergency preparedness tips, visit torontohydro.com/beprepared.
QUOTE
"This year more than ever, we've seen the value of emergency preparedness and being able to adjust to a new normal. For our part, Toronto Hydro is continuing to factor climate change into our standards and processes to help us better respond to increasingly frequent extreme weather. We're also encouraging our customers to plan ahead this winter so they can keep themselves safe and comfortable in the event of a power outage or other emergency."
- Russell Baker, Spokesperson, Toronto Hydro
ABOUT TORONTO HYDRO
Toronto Hydro owns and operates the electricity distribution system for Canada's largest city. Recognized as a Sustainable Electricity Company™ since 2014, it has approximately 782,000 customers located in the City of Toronto and distributes approximately 18% of the electricity consumed in Ontario.
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SOURCE Toronto Hydro Corporation
