Ottawa’s West End Cleans Up After Another Intense Summer Storm Knocks Out Power, Fells Trees

Residents across Ottawa’s west end spent Thursday clearing debris after an intense wind and rain storm tore through the city Wednesday night, knocking out power to thousands of homes and bringing down hundreds of trees.
Crews were working through the morning to clear roads and restore electricity after the storm flooded low lying streets and toppled mature trees onto homes and vehicles in several neighbourhoods. On Thorson Avenue, one uprooted tree came down directly on a house, among the more visible examples of the damage residents woke up to Thursday morning.
The storm is the latest in a run of severe summer weather that has made this Ottawa’s wettest season on record, following the July 1 storm that flooded thousands of basements across the city and a subsequent thunderstorm watch issued earlier this week. City and utility crews have faced repeated call outs this summer as one system after another has moved through the region, with forecasters noting the persistent, unusually wet pattern has left little opportunity for the typical drier stretches residents expect by mid August.
Homeowners affected by tree damage or flooding are being advised to document damage for insurance purposes and to contact the city’s 311 line to report hazards such as downed branches or blocked storm drains. With more rain in the forecast for the coming days, residents in low lying and previously flooded areas are being urged to stay alert to weather advisories.