Close to 13,000 customers in P.E.I., N.S. still without power 13 days after Fiona

Close to 13,000 customers are still without power in Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island almost two weeks after post-tropical storm Fiona made landfall in the region on Sept. 23.

As of 1 p.m. Thursday, Nova Scotia Power was reporting 1,484 active outages affecting 4,085 customers, with more than half of the outages affecting Pictou County. It appears power has been restored to most of the Truro area. Approximately 325 customers in Cape Breton are still waiting for their power to be restored.

According to the latest outage map, it is estimated power will be restored to all Nova Scotians by Sunday.

In a Thursday afternoon press release, Nova Scotia Power said, given the extensive damage, it is possible some individual customers could be without power beyond the weekend.

The utility said in a Twitter update earlier in the day that there were more than 900 crew members working on restoration efforts in northeastern Nova Scotia. Additional crews will be moved into the region later Thursday. 

Nova Scotia Power says its main challenge continues to be single-customer outages, with over 1,000 remaining in the region.

“It has been brought to our attention that customers are having a difficult time getting a certified electrician to their home in communities in the northeast due to the number of broken meter masts in the area,” said Lia MacDonald, Nova Scotia Power’s northeast emergency operations centre lead, in Thursday’s release.

“We’re supporting customers who need help finding a certified electrician so they can have the repairs made and we can safely restore power.”

The ongoing outages and restoration efforts prompted the Nova Scotia government to declare a state of emergency in Cape Breton and six counties in northern Nova Scotia on Wednesday.

The province says the state of emergency will allow the military to perform civilian road work and provide liability coverage. It will remain in effect for 14 days, unless the government terminates or extends it. 

PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND

On Prince Edward Island, 8,879 Maritime Electric customers were still without power as of Thursday afternoon. The largest concentration of customers remains in the Charlottetown area.

Five schools remain closed on the island Thursday. However, a news release from the province late Thursday afternoon said the following four Charlottetown schools will reopen Friday.

• Prince Street Elementary
• Queen Charlotte Intermediate
• St. Jean Elementary
• West Kent schools

A start date has yet to announced for École Évangéline classes to move to to L'Exposition Agricole et le Festival Acadien grounds.

The P.E.I. government is encouraging parents to walk children to school or their bus stop until they are assured the route is safe.

Parents are also asked to discuss the following safety tips with their children:

• Staying away from downed power lines and poles as electrical infrastructure comes back online.
• Keeping a safe distance from recovery crews so they can complete their work.
• Avoiding playgrounds and other facilities that are closed due to storm damage.
• Taking extra care when crossing roads because some traffic lights are still not operational.

In a tweet Wednesday, the city of Charlottetown urged residents to stay away from areas surrounding closed schools and where power crews are working.  

In its latest press release, the P.E.I. government said the top priority remains clearing roads of Fiona-related damage and debris.

The City of Charlottetown also says work crews will continue cleanup efforts in parks and on trails for “several weeks.”

Seven parks and playgrounds are closed until further notice:

• Messer Park
• MacMillan Park
• Upton Park
• Connaught Square
• MacPherson Park
• J Muise Park
• MacLean Park

Fire Station #1 on Kent Street is open Thursday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. for anyone in need of Wi-Fi, water, snacks and electricity.

The provincial government has also compiled a list of reception centres open across the island.

People can also contact the Canadian Red Cross at 1-800-863-6582, or through their website, if they need temporary emergency shelter.