Supporting Ottawa in an Emergency: Hydro Ottawa Develops Large-Scale Event Playbook for Crisis Communications

When a powerful derecho storm hit Ottawa in May 2022, toppling more poles in one event than the utility typically replaces in a year, crews faced an unprecedented amount of damage. Their hard work enabled them to restore power to 50% of customers within two days and 90% within a week. During the reviews that followed the incident, utility leadership took the opportunity to invest in a new Large-Scale Event Playbook. This playbook, created in collaboration with PricewaterhouseCoopers, provides specific guidelines for effective communication during various crisis levels, ensuring that Hydro Ottawa is always prepared for the unexpected.

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