Violent thunderstorms and powerful winds swept throughout Quebec amid the continuing warmth wave, knocking out energy to 1000’s and leaving a path of harm.
“I believe to myself, I might have died,” mentioned 12-year-old Charles Plouffe.
The 12-year-old boy from L’Assomption had handed below a marquis moments earlier than it was violently tossed into the air and collapsed into close by timber and powerlines. The big tent had been erected for the North Shore Agricultural present, which had completed a number of days earlier than the storm on Thursday night time.
“My half brother and I had been within the park somewhat additional away once we began to listen to thunder, so we hurried house,” Stated Plouffe. “We started to really feel the wind and leaves and rocks had been flying into our faces. After we acquired close to the marquee, I handed beneath it with my half-brother subsequent to me, then twenty seconds later– It collapsed.”
His mom, Martine Desgroseilliers, was shaken by the occasions.
“I used to be beginning to get nervous and I hadn’t even made it to the nook of the road to search for the boys when a wall of rain actually got here crashing down; it acquired very, very darkish, with sturdy winds, and that’s once I noticed them seem – it was so thick that I used to be struggling to make them out by the rain, despite the fact that they had been solely about six ft away from me,” mentioned Desgroseilliers.
She added that poles from the tent landed close to her automobile they usually had been with out electrical energy for a lot of the day on Friday. “I’ve by no means seen winds as sturdy as that; we might hear the crackling of timber as they fell – on the time, it was fairly a sight.”
Crews seen engaged on tent that collapsed throughout the storm in L’Assomption seen on July 3, 2026 (Submitted: Carl Jean-Bart)
200 Hydro-Québec groups deployed
Throughout the province, over 137, 000 prospects had been in the dead of night round 9 p.m. Thursday, in accordance with Hydro-Québec spokesperson Audrey St-Pierre. As of two p.m. on Friday there have been lower than 22,000 with out energy throughout the province.
She mentioned that 200 groups of staff had been working by the heatwave to revive energy and reminded the general public to keep away from any downed wires and speak to emergency providers in the event that they encounter them.
“We don’t need individuals to get electrocuted,” mentioned St-Pierre. “Maintain 10 meters away from the traces on the bottom and ensure to not take away branches which have fallen onto a downed wire.”
The Laurentians area, with practically 40,000 outages, and the Lanaudière area, with greater than 22,000 outages, had been probably the most affected by energy outages. As of midday Friday, these numbers had been at over 14,000 within the Laurentians and 10,000 within the Lanaudière area.
In Montreal, over 9,000 households had been affected by the Hydro outage, whereas in Laval the tally was over 13,000 Thursday night.
A Marquee tent within the L’Assomption space additionally collapsed because of the gusts.
Charles Plouffe, 12, was below the tent moments earlier than it was destroyed. Fortunately he was not injured.
In Blainville’s Fontainebleau neighbourhood, the cleanup was in full swing Friday morning after residents cleared up fallen timber and particles.
Blainville residents clearing particles after earlier night time’s storm, picture taken on July 3, 2026 (Submitted by: Mike Varga)
Blainville storm cleanup, picture taken on July 3, 2026 (Submitted by: Mike Varga)
A avenue in Blainville seen closed off because of fallen tree from earlier night time’s storm, picture taken on July 3, 2026 (Submitted by: Mike Varga)
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