SOME POWER IS STILL OUT AS STORM CLEAN-UP CONTINUES AS RAIN AND FLOOD WARNING IN EFFECT
Mark Clairmont | MuskokaTODAY.com
MUSKOKA — A week after what the District of Muskoka is calling the “most devastating and widespread damage since the ice storm of 1998,” clean-up and recovery work is still underway with areas still without power and some rural roads blocked.
Luckily no serious injuries were reported.
The weekend weather looks better for clean-ups. The next few days will see some rain Saturday with a high of 7C. Sunday it’s a mix of sun and cloud Sunday and chance of rain. High of 4C.
Meanwhile, hundreds of volunteers and town and district staff are working their way through the mess.
Liberal candidate hires arborist to help
One of those pitching in is Liberal candidate Geordie Sabbagh, who hired an arborist to provide on-site wood chipping for people in the hardest hit areas of Gravenhurst and Bracebridge.
As a first responder he is well familiar with the issues people are facing, and clearing up downed trees is one of them.
On Friday the arborist was travelling around the area to “buck up and dispose of the downed trees,” says a party release from his campaign.
“This is the time to put politics aside and help out our neighbours,” said Sabbagh. “Many people have suffered greatly from this natural disaster, and I want to do what I can to help people get back on their feet.”
If you know of neighbourhoods that Sabbagh and his clean-up team should be visiting, go to geordiesabbagh.ca and submit a request or use the social media links on the website to make a comment.
He said “we will do our best to put requested areas on our clean-up route.”
For more information on Geordie, go to his website at geordiesabbagh.ca.
Gravenhurst firefighters doing neighbourhood checks, encourages residents to check next door
Elsewhere, in Gravenhurst they say 1,000 people are still without Elexicon power, while hundreds more are powerless if they are Hydro One customers.
Elexicon said this morning that just over 1,000 customers remain without power. They hope to see that number dwindle to less than 500 customers by Saturday night.
For power outage information, see the Elexicon Outage Map or the Hydro One Outage Map.
The Gravenhurst Fire Department continues to check on residents to ensure they are managing. Firefighters have access to supplies, including food and water for residents they find in need. Find the statement on the town website. Significant Weather Event
The town declared a significant weather event Saturday, prior to the worst of the storm, and this remains in place.
A reminder that due to extensive tree damage caused by the recent ice storm and for related public safety reasons, the town has closed its parks, trails, and cemeteries.
See the full list on our website. These amenities will remain closed until further notice.
The town has a storm resource directory available on its website.
Flood warning for Black, Severn Rivers
- This as the MNRF’s “Flood Warning and Watershed Conditions Statement” yesterday has a flood outlook in effect for portions of the District Municipality of Muskoka, and County of Haliburton for the Black, Burnt, Muskoka and Severn River Watersheds. It is in effect until next Friday April 11.
All Muskoka towns and the district have storm help pages at their websites. Visit them for more helpful details and links.
District support available including water sources
Call them at 705-645-2100 ext. 4500 or go to [email protected] And for the latest district program and service updates and helpful resources, visit: www.muskoka.on.ca/spring-ice-storm Also see their https://ca.voyent-alert.com/vras/client.html#!/alert-details.
The district also has boxes of food available for residents in need. Contact the district to arrange this service.
To help with the recovery, the district is accepting brush and chippable wood free of charge at most transfer stations (excluding Ridout, Sinclair, and McLean due to space).
This service at the transfer stations will continue for at least the next 30 days, district council decided earlier today.
District council also struck a working group today to look at the collection, management, and disposal of waste from the ice storm. Visit the district website to learn more.
See Environment Canada – Gravenhurst for details.
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