The number of Hydro Ottawa customers still off the grid after the devastating storm dropped from 2300 Tuesday night to 1400 Wednesday morning.

A spokesperson for Hydro Ottawa said that for those still off the grid, the ongoing outage is due to factors including tree contacts and damaged equipment.

José Larocque, Director of Media and Public Affairs, said, "The good news is that we still have crews working around the clock, supported by our contractors and other utilities, so we still hope to restore power to all our customers who experienced outages over the weekend."

Customers currently with power may experience temporary outages as power is restored in their neighborhoods or nearby streets.

Hydro Ottawa CEO and President Bryce Conrad said in a Tuesday afternoon briefing that while 98 percent of the city's electric grid has been restored, work on the remaining outages is proving to be "long and arduous."

He added that the situation on the ground remains chaotic and dynamic as crews discover more damage than expected, and Conrad said homes with damage to their electrical systems need to be repaired before power is restored to them."

He added, "We have people ready to assist in this case."

The city issued a safety advisory Tuesday stating that work crews "are working under difficult and strenuous conditions."

The alert also noted, "Give work crews space to work safely, follow their instructions and signs. Equipment can pose hazards even when workers are not present. Safe walking zones are designated in certain areas. Ask for help if you feel unsafe or uncomfortable."

"When driving, stay within designated areas, slow down near work crews and maintain a safe distance."

Electricity company said, "Work crews operate day and night in all weather conditions when responding to emergencies, warning residents to exercise extra caution when darkness falls or in bad weather."

The city of Ottawa operates four community support centers from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the CARDELREC Recreation Complex at 1500 Shea Road, Francois Dupuis Recreation Complex (2263 Portobello Boulevard), Howard Darwin Centennial Arena (1765 Merivale Road), and Hunt Club-Riverside Park Community Centre (3320 Paul Anka Drive).

The company added in its report: "If you are cooking during a power outage, turn off the stove or oven or any other appliances. Turn off all lights, unplug devices and electronics, and lower the heating system's thermostat to avoid surges when power is restored."

The company asks residents to conserve energy and avoid operating all electronic devices to prevent overloading the supply network.

Edited by: Dima Abu Khair