Power Outages Across Quebec
On March 11, 2026, over 102,000 households in Quebec were left without electricity due to severe freezing rain. The Montérégie region was particularly hard hit, with more than 46,000 addresses experiencing outages.
In addition to Montérégie, approximately 14,000 households in the Outaouais region and around 12,000 households in the Laurentides were affected. The city of Montreal reported nearly 18,500 addresses without power.
As the freezing rain continued, the situation worsened. By March 12, the number of households without power across Quebec surged to over 140,000. In Montérégie alone, more than 60,000 households were still without electricity by 3 AM.
Montreal’s outages included 25,842 customers, while the Centre-du-Québec region reported 16,800 customers affected. Additionally, over 1,170 outages were recorded in the Capitale-Nationale region.
François Legault stated, “Les équipes d’Hydro-Québec sont prêtes pour ce soir et cette nuit,” indicating the readiness of Hydro-Québec teams to address the situation. Cendrix Bouchard confirmed that the outages were indeed related to the intensifying weather conditions.
The freezing rain event was anticipated to cause significant disruptions, with meteorologists predicting between 20 to 30 millimeters of freezing rain in the affected areas. Hydro-Québec has warned that the number of outages could increase further as weather conditions deteriorate.
Details remain unconfirmed regarding the full extent of the outages and the timeline for restoration of power. Residents are advised to stay informed through official updates from Hydro-Québec as the situation develops.