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Flood-ravaged Fort McMurray residents warned not to use generator ‘to feed their homes’ electrical panel’

The flooded Waterways neighbourhood in Fort McMurray, Alta., is shown on Tuesday, April 28, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Greg Halinda

Officials with the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo issued an urgent warning on Monday to anyone living without power in the flood-stricken community of Fort McMurray.

“Residents without power, using a generator to feed their homes’ electrical panel, must stop immediately,” the RMWB said in a news release. “These electrical panels are attached to the grid and plugging a generator directly into them energizes the lines, creating a serious safety risk for crews working to restore power and other residents in the area.”

Work by ATCO crews is ongoing to restore power to areas hit hard by flooding late last month, the RMWB said.

“Power meters were shut off for buildings where the electrical system could have been damaged from the flood,” officials said. “An RMWB safety codes officer must inspect these systems before power can be restored.

“If you had water damage to your property, contact a licensed contractor to assess and repair your electrical system prior to requesting an RMWB inspection.”

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READ MORE: Fort McMurray flood: Boil water advisory to remain in place until September

For more information on how to clean up after a flood and to learn about what resources are available, click here.

At its peak, this spring’s flooding in Fort McMurray forced about 13,000 people from their homes.

READ MORE: Fort McMurray lifts all flood-related mandatory evacuation orders

All mandatory evacuation orders were lifted by Sunday evening.

Watch below: Some Global News videos about flooding in Fort McMurray in 2020.

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