Nearly 15,000 Maritimos remain without power 11 days after Post-Tropical Storm Fiona hit the region.
As of 2 pm Tuesday, there were 3,157 active outages affecting 12,249 Nova Scotia Power customers, with the majority of outages reported in the Pictou County, Cape Breton and Truro areas.
Some estimated restoration times in Sydney, NS, stretched as far as 11 p.m. Thursday, while others in the Truro and Pictou county areas say 11 p.m. Saturday, two weeks after the storm.
In its latest press release, Nova Scotia Power says that customers with restoration hours on Sunday will receive a call directly from the utility’s customer service team to discuss their situation.
“We understand that power loss affects every part of your life,” Lia MacDonald, leader of the utility’s Northeast emergency operations center, said in the statement. “We also appreciate that we’re heading into Thanksgiving weekend, which is normally filled with family gatherings. I want customers to know that we are doing everything we can to get their power back safely and as soon as possible.”
Nova Scotia Power says most of the remaining outages affect one customer each and are complex restorations that require “multiple crews and several hours to complete.”
As of Tuesday, approximately 97 percent of Nova Scotians affected by Fiona had their energy back.
All Nova Scotia schools that were closed due to power outages have also reopened.
The following comfort centers in the Cape Breton Regional Municipality are open on Tuesday:
- Glace Bay Miners’ Forum: Open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Gabarus VFD: Open from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.
- Louisbourg VFD: open from 8 am to 5 pm (showers available)
- Sydney Center 200: Open from 10am to 5pm
PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND
On Prince Edward Island, there were 11,526 Maritime Electric customers without power Tuesday afternoon, with the largest outages reported in the Charlottetown and Stratford areas. The utility company predicts power won’t be fully restored until Sunday.
During a news conference Monday, spokeswoman Kim Griffin said heavy damage to electrical infrastructure is delaying restoration times, in some cases because crews have to rebuild power poles instead of reconnecting wires.
In its latest news release, the PEI government said Tuesday that crews are making more “community-level progress” with restoring power across the island.
Several schools on the island remained closed on Tuesday. Cardigan Consolidated students will return to classes Wednesday at a temporary location at Montague Regional High School.
Classes for École Évangéline students will move to the grounds of L’Exposition Agricole et le Festival Acadien, but no start date has been announced.
Donagh Regional, Prince Street Elementary, Queen Charlotte Intermediate, St. Jean Elementary and West Kent schools are still closed.
The city of Charlottetown says the Hillsborough Park Community Center will be open Tuesday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. for anyone in need of a comfort center. The PEI government has also compiled a list of about 30 reception centers open throughout the island.
Any resident in need of temporary emergency shelter can call 211 or the Shelter Support Line directly at 1-833-220-4722.
Charlottetown residents can also seek temporary disaster shelter at the Murchison Center.
REMOVAL OF DEBRIS
More information was posted online Tuesday about the upcoming disposal schedules and hours of waste delivery service.
The province says debris removal from personal property will not begin until demand for road clearance and cleanup efforts is reduced.
FINANCIAL SUPPORT
Islanders can begin submitting their applications to the Provincial Disaster Financial Assistance Program for any uninsurable loss. People who are unable to complete the online self-assessment tool you can call the Canadian Red Cross at 1-833-966-4225. Households financially impacted by Fiona can also apply to the Canadian Red Cross for $250 per household in financial support.
Storm-impacted seniors 65 and older can now apply for a $100 one-time fee supermarket voucher. Seniors registered with the Senior Independence Initiative will receive $150 per household.
Islanders on social assistance will receive $150 for each social housing household. They will also receive $150 for each beneficiary and dependent of the social program.