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Thousands without power after Ontario thunderstorms, high winds

TORONTO — A powerful storm Tuesday evening toppled trees and power lines in Ontario, where thousands remained without power Wednesday afternoon. A Hydro One outage map indicated approximately 30,000 customers were without power.
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A closed road shows aftermath of a short but severe storm with heavy rains and strong winds which swept through the region resulting in a number a number of trees being brought downin London, Ont., Wednesday, April 30, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Mark Spowart

TORONTO — A powerful storm Tuesday evening toppled trees and power lines in Ontario, where thousands remained without power Wednesday afternoon.

A Hydro One outage map indicated approximately 30,000 customers were without power.

The provincial utility said damaged trees on power lines and broken poles were part of the damage crews were assessing. Environment Canada had warned of damaging winds, large hail and heavy rains ahead of the severe thunderstorm.

The storm also toppled some trees and hydro poles in Hamilton on Tuesday afternoon, where the city's mayor sustained multiple injuries in a fall "during extremely windy conditions," her office said.

Mayor Andrea Horwath fell on the stairs outside city hall and was undergoing surgery for a broken wrist on Wednesday morning, according to a post on her X account.

Horwath was also being assessed for other injuries, including an elbow fracture and a leg injury, the post said.

Tuesday's storm arrived about a month after a severe ice storm caused sweeping damage in Ontario and parts of Quebec. Thousands of people in Ontario, especially in cottage country, experienced prolonged power outages as a result.

Initial estimates show the ice storm caused $342 million in insured damage, the Insurance Bureau of Canada said in a news release Wednesday.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 30, 2025.

The Canadian Press

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