A broken wind turbine in Nova Scotia’s Inverness County is some of the most visibly shocking damage in recent memory caused by Les Suetes winds in the area.
The wind turbine, owned and operated by Nova Scotia Power, is broken in a field in Grand Etang after it collapsed Wednesday, amid gusts that neared 200 km per hour.
At roughly 15 years old, the 660-kilowatt Vestas is one of the oldest wind turbines in the province.
On Thursday, residents expressed concern that such a large piece of machinery could collapse.
One man told CTV News his parents, who live only hundreds of metres away, were worried debris from the turbine would be blown into their home.
Nova Scotia's energy minister says regulations are in place to ensure public safety.
"There are very specific setback rules to ensure there is safety for the public, safety for landowners and residents in the nearby area. I think that's why those setbacks are in place to start off with,” says Michel Samson. “So at this point, there is no indication that there should be any concern by the public."
On Thursday, Nova Scotia Power, along with the company that manufactured the turbine, began an investigation into how it collapsed.
This is the second time in just a few months a turbine in the province has toppled.
Another one, made by Renewable Energy Services Ltd., collapsed in Point Tupper in August. The results of that investigation have not been revealed.
With files from CTV Atlantic’s Ryan MacDonald
