TORONTO, Feb. 19 /CNW/ - Hydro One has restored power to more than 20,000 customers affected by the high winds that hit the province Friday night. Approximately 40,000 Hydro One customers remain without power.

Hydro One crews have mobilized and deployed to assess and repair the damage resulting from the severe weather, and they continue to see significant numbers of downed poles and trees on lines. While poor weather has mostly subsided, some areas continue to experience windy conditions and slippery roads, hampering efforts and causing new outages. Repair work will involve removal of fallen trees, replacement of downed poles and wires as well as the replacement of equipment. Once weather conditions improve, helicopters will be utilized to assist with restoration efforts.

It is expected that the majority of customers will have their power restored throughout the day today and tomorrow. Some customers and cottage properties in remote locations may not be restored until Monday. The Company will continue to update the status of its restoration efforts.

The most impacted areas include:

"Power outages in the winter are a serious concern for our customers and we are working to safely restore service as quickly as we can," said Myles D'Arcey, Senior Vice President, Customer Operations, Hydro One Networks. "We are deploying all available resources and as soon as power is restored in one area, crews will be redeployed to assist other areas."

Important Safety Information

Hydro One strongly urges people to take extra precaution near fallen power lines. Even if a fallen wire seems dead, it can be dangerous. People are urged to report to Hydro One the location of the fallen wires as soon as possible. Touching a vehicle that is in contact with a power line can be fatal.

For the most recent information on power outages go to www.HydroOne.com.

Hydro One delivers electricity safely, reliably and responsibly to homes and businesses across the province of Ontario and owns and operates Ontario's 28,000 kilometre high-voltage transmission network that delivers electricity to large industrial customers and municipal utilities, and a 125,000 kilometre low-voltage distribution system that serves about 1.3 million end-use customers and smaller municipal utilities in the province. Hydro One is wholly owned by the Province of Ontario.