Update – Power Outage Starting To Take Its Toll Mentally On Residents
Some residents of Northumberland County are spending a third day without power after high winds tore through the area on Sunday, November 15, 2020.
Damage is still being assessed, and clean-up work continues, but residents are trying to make the most of it along Dale Road in Hamilton Township.
It’s a case of neighbours helping neighbours said Dale Road resident Peter Skora.
Skora was in Peterborough when he was told that getting back to his home may be a problem because of downed power lines.
When he arrived home, “it was like a tornado came by – it was unbelievable.”
Since Sunday, Skora has been working with neighbours helping to clean each others property.
“We’re so happy to have good neighbours and everyone else who has come to lend us a hand.”
“It’s looking better day by day, hour by hour.”
Skora said his pool is likely destroyed, along with his gazebo, some shingles are off on every roof that he has including garage and house and he lost six to eight trees.
But all in all he said, “it’s not bad – it could have been a lot worse.”
Skora along with other people have nothing but praise for Hydro One workers and contractors including Lakefront Utilities that have been called in to repair the hydro lines.
“They’re doing amazing. They came along quickly, organized, got the poles in and are doing great.”
Generators and chain saws are something that is common to hear in the areas where there is no power.
One of Skora’s generators quit, but he got another one from his father and is doing fine, but it’s beginning to take its toll mentally.
“It was rough and it’s still rough when you see the damage thinking about it replacing it or what’s going to happen.”
Just a few houses down the only way for another resident to leave is by going through her driveway and into a farmer’s field.
When the power lines came down, the blocked her vehicles in the driveway.
If it wasn’t for the farmer’s field she’d have no way of leaving her house.
“During times like these it makes you appreciate what you have,” said the woman.
One resident might be planning for the future and brought in a large motor home.
With strong gusts still gusting in the area, at least one pole is snapped to the east of Theatre Road along Dale Road.
The pole is still standing, but is clearly broken along with another one beside it.
Crews are hoping they can get to it before they sheer completely off.
In other areas, a pickup truck appears destroyed on Division Street North after a tree fell on it.
Check your area for outage https://www.hydroone.com/power-outages-and-safety/stormcentre-outage-map?bodyOnly=true/
Author: Pete Fisher
Has been a photojournalist for over 30-years and have been honoured to win numerous awards for photography and writing over the years. Best selling author for the book Highway of Heroes - True Patriot Love