Crews on 'final mile' to restore power to Hamilton homes

The number of Hamilton households without power is dropping slowlyand the remaining few can expect service to be restored by Friday night.

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Hydro One reported shortly before 5 p.m. onFriday afternoon that 106 customers in rural and suburban Hamilton werestill without power, down from 121 in the morning and 1,641 Thursday morning.

Most of the affected households are in Flamborough. The estimated restoration time is 11 p.m. at the latest, the company said.

The final mile is the slowest and hardest part of any restoration job for our customers and for our employees, said Carm Marcello, president and CEO of Hydro One, in a statement Friday afternoon.

Any additionalcustomers experiencing problems with the power in their homes are asked to call 1-800-434-1235.

The latest updates for Hydro One customers can be found online atthe power outage map on the companys website. Customers with access to mobile phones can also download a free mobile app to check the status of restoration.

Meanwhile, power has been restored to virtuallyall Horizon Utilities customers as of Friday morning.

Horizon Utilities said 21 customers have experienced damage to their electrical system and are waiting for inspection from Electrical Safety Authority. Horizon Utilities will reconnect those customers after the ESA has issued its authorization.