Nova Scotia Power activated its Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) at 12 p.m. today, (NOVEMBER 28) in advance of an impending storm.

“Weather forecasts are calling for a messy mix of heavy wet snow, rain and strong wind gusts upwards of 90 to 110
km/h in areas across the province, beginning tonight and carrying into Thursday,” said Matt Drover, Nova Scotia Power’s Storm Lead. “We’re preparing for the storm by positioning power line crews and forestry teams across the province, and we’re staffing up our Customer Care Centre. We continue to closely monitor weather forecasts, and we will have crews staged throughout the province so that we can respond to affected customers as quickly as possible.”

The EOC provides centralized coordination for outage restoration planning and response, as well as liaison with the Nova Scotia Emergency Management Office (EMO). It is staffed with employees representing all aspects of the company.

“Based on the current weather forecast, we expect this storm could cause power outages in communities across the province. Typically, with forecasted wind gusts above 80 km/h, we see outages caused by trees contacting or falling on power lines,” said Drover. “Heavy wet snow can also cause issues as trees are weighed down onto power lines, and the snowfall may result in challenging travel conditions for restoration crews. We encourage people to monitor their local weather forecasts and prepare accordingly. We will be ready to begin restoration efforts as soon as it’s safe to do so.”

Nova Scotia Power is also proactively coordinating with electrical inspectors to streamline the repair process for
customers who may incur damage to their meter mast as a result of the storm. If a customer’s electrical equipment
becomes damaged, customers need a certified electrician to make repairs before Nova Scotia Power can safely restore power.

Nova Scotia Power encourages customers to plan for their safety. Some tips include charging electronic devices, ensuring backup generators are installed properly outdoors, and having an emergency kit that includes flashlights, a battery-powered radio and fresh water. If you lose power, turn off and unplug electrical equipment, such as televisions
and computers to prevent damage when power is restored.

Visit www.nspower.ca/stormready for a full list of safety and storm preparedness tips.

Customers who experience an outage are encouraged to stay tuned to outagemap.nspower.ca or call the Outage Line at 1-877-428-6004 for up to date information on power restoration.

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Source : Media Release