April 8, 2023 Newsletter - Storm Response

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April 8, 2023 storm response newsletter from Rawlson King, City Councillor for Rideau-Rockcliffe.


Hydro Ottawa crews have resolved all neighbourhood-wide power outages in Rideau-Rockcliffe at this time. Thank you to all Ward 13 residents and business owners for their patience during this very challenging time. I know the past few days have been difficult. 

I also want to acknowledge the dedicated efforts of Ottawa Community Housing staff, property management and contractors who worked tirelessly to repair damaged electrical attachments on homes and remove and clean tree debris throughout the Overbrook OCH community. Thank you!

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There may be individual homes in Ottawa that are still without power tomorrow, April 9. Residents should consult the Hydro Ottawa website for guidance when an individual home’s electrical equipment is damaged. See below for additional details about this.

Outage information and Hydro Ottawa updates are regularly posted here: website, outage map, and its Twitter account. 

If you are without power and you do not see your neighbourhood reflected on the outage map, you can report this in two ways. If you are experiencing a new power outage, please report it to Hydro Ottawa.

 

City recreation and community centres

The City will have 23 facilities open for regular programming and rentals tomorrow, April 9, and 15 facilities on April 10. The full list is available on the City’s storm page: Storm cleanup - April 2023 | City of Ottawa. 


Assistance

For residents who may be food insecure and who are seeking support, they can contact 2-1-1 Ontario where they will be provided with low/no cost options for meals and will be informed of other food security initiatives based on where they live. Some Food Banks in Ottawa also remain open this weekend (Get Help - Ottawa Food Bank).

Residents affected by the power outages who are in need of financial help can complete an application and be assessed for emergency assistance for loss of food, and in exceptional circumstances, help with medication, medical supplies or personal care. To apply, visit the online application for emergency assistance or call 3-1-1 and select option 4. If you are already in receipt of Ontario Works, please call your case worker directly.

 

Customer-owned equipment

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If you have electrical equipment - such as a meter mast - that was damaged by the storm, the Electrical Safety Authority (ESA) has a tool to help you find a licensed electrician who can complete repairs. Please click here.

The Electrical Safety Authority Call Centre will also be open Sunday to support reconnections related the emergency situation in eastern Ontario. Call 1-877-372-7233.

 

Public Works Storm-Recovery Operations

The Forestry team has addressed more than half of the 2,250+ calls for service received since Wednesday’s weather event; The Traffic team has brought nearly 150 traffic signals back online and have emergency generators at all intersections that remain without power; Curbside waste collection resumed today, allowing many residents with spoiled food to benefit from green bin pick-up; and Roads and Parks teams continue to address fallen trees and debris that affect our parks and transportation network, followed-up by concentrated street sweeping.
Trees, limbs and brush remain a priority. As identified hazards, streets and pathways are cleared, staff and contractors will turn their attention to broken limbs, non-hazardous removals, re-inspections, pruning and brush/wood cleanup.
Collecting and/or chipping all this debris will be a multi-week effort – but residents can help:
  1. Tree cuttings, branches and brush may be placed at the curb for chipping or collection, separate from non-organic waste.
  2. To allow collection, we encourage branches to be tied with twine in bundles of less than 1.2 m (4 ft.) in length and 60 cm (2 ft.) in width, and that bundles or containers weigh no more than 15 kg (33 lb.). Individual branches should be less than 10 cm (4 in.) in diameter.
  3. Larger tree cuttings, branches and brush may be brought to the City’s Trail Waste Facility at no charge until further notice. Otherwise, these may wait, curbside, for chipping or collection by specialized City and contracted crews. There is no need to call 3-1-1 at this time.

Food waste: Please remove all packaging and dispose of food waste with your weekly curbside green bin collection. If you have a more urgent need to dispose of food waste, a large bin will be available at the Trail Waste Facility at no charge from Monday, April 10 to Saturday, April 15.


What to do with storm-related debris and waste

Pickup is ongoing. If you have spoiled food from the storm and are able to, please store it in your freezer until your weekly curbside green bin pickup.

Infographic on what to do with debris and waste after a storm. The same information can be found on Ottawa.ca
Please click here for more information on how to dispose of your storm-related waste and debris. This infographic has also been posted on my website.


Damage to private property due to fallen City-owned trees

The City has received some reports of damage to lawns on the city right of way adjacent to some homeowner properties due to clean up efforts. Staff are working on addressing the reinstatement of these lawns promptly. If residents notice damage from the storm clean up on the ROW adjacent to their property, we ask that they please notify 3-1-1 so staff can attend. If there is damage to the private portion of the lawn, homeowners are asked to submit a claim through the city’s claims process.

If a City-owned tree is damaged or has caused damage due to the recent storm, it is important to report it to the City via 3-1-1 and to not touch the tree. The City will arrange for the clean-up and/or removal of any damaged City-owned trees and – at a later date – also the stumps/root balls. Situations where the tree is blocking the roadway, is leaning/uprooted or is on a house or car are considered urgent. 

Residents should not engage with private arborists for clean-up and/or removal of City-owned trees, as the City will assess and undertake this work. 

For more information, please click here.


Your mental well-being is important

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Stressful events can be difficult and it is entirely normal for them to affect you. These effects can be long-lasting. Never hesitate to ask for help.

 

We are here to help

To connect with my Ward 13 team, please email [email protected] or call my office at 613-580-2483.

For urgent and after-hours issues, please call 3-1-1.

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