May’s “Dereco” cost Hydro-Quebec at least $ 70 million

The hurricane that devastated Quebec and Ontario last May cost Hydro-Quebec at least $ 70 million, and nearly 2,000 people had to be deployed to the ground for nearly two weeks to repair the damage.

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The winds, known as “Dereco” by the Environment Canada, created winds of up to 150 kilometers per hour, severely damaging power lines and killing at least 11 people in Ontario.

“More than 550,000 consumers lost power and infrastructure suffered significant damage at the height of the storm. It was one of the hardest-hit events on Earth since the 1998 blizzard,” Hydro-Quebec said Tuesday, noting that Laurence, Lanouadier, Mauritius and Capitol-National‌ were particularly affected.

In total, technicians had to deal with 11,254 breakdowns in the province, which required more than 160,000 hours of work from more than 2,000 linemen. At least 1125 poles and 400 transformers had to be replaced.

The state company therefore underlined that the work would cost Hydro-Quebec about $ 70 million, which could be even more temporary.

• Work cost: Approximately $ 70 million (number may be higher)
• A total of 11,254 failures
• 554,649 customers arrived at 8pm on May 21st, mainly in Autouis, Laurentians and Lanaudiers
• Eighty-five percent of customers recover 72 hours after the event peaks
• 95% of clients recovered 125 hours after the May 27 midnight peak event
• Our line workers worked 160,000 hours
• More than 2,000 employees were employed in 11 days
• 90% of the fractures that cause fracture are related to vegetation
• 1125 pillars changed
• More than 400 transformers were replaced
• 40 km of power lines were laid