PREPARING FOR TROPICAL STORM ERIN – NOVA SCOTIA POWER GETS READY TO RESPOND

**** NSP Release

Nova Scotia Power is activating its Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) at noon tomorrow (Thursday, August 29) in advance of Tropical Storm Erin.

“There can be a lot of variability with tropical storms, so we’re activating our EOC to ensure we are fully prepared for any impacts Erin may bring,” said Matt Drover, Nova Scotia Power’s Storm Lead. “We’re placing crews around the province and working with staff and contractors to make sure we can respond safely and quickly as needed. We are closely monitoring the weather forecasts, so if the storm shifts, we can modify our response effort too.”

Weather forecasts suggest Erin could reach Nova Scotia as a post tropical storm Thursday night into early Friday morning, delivering high wind gusts and heavy rain. High winds have the potential to bring trees and branches into contact with power lines, causing outages.

Nova Scotia Power’s EOC provides centralized coordination for outage restoration planning and response, as well as liaison with the Nova Scotia Emergency Management Office (EMO). If power outages occur, Nova Scotia Power will operate its EOC until the last

THINGS YOU CAN DO TO BE PREPARED

Add our outage line (1-877-428-6004) to the list of emergency phone numbers near your phone, or bookmark our outage map at nspower.ca/outages.
Track bad weather by following local radio and television weather reports or visiting Environment Canada online.
Have an emergency kit with flashlights, a battery-operated radio and fresh water. Download the Red Cross Emergency Preparedness Checklist.
Turn off and unplug electrical equipment such as TVs and computers.
Learn to manually operate your automatic garage doors.
Make sure backup generators are installed by a qualified electrician and follow the manufacturer’s safety instructions. Never place a portable generator indoors.

DOWNED LINES AND FALLEN TREES

For safety, consider all cables and wires to be energized whether they are electrical, cable or telephone. If a line is in the water, there is even more reason to be cautious and consider it and the water energized. Keep children away from all flooded areas and areas with lots of debris because the water or storm debris could be hiding an energized line.

You shouldn’t try to remove or trim branches near a power line. If a tree or tree limbs have fallen on a power line or pulled it down, keep a safe distance from the line or the tree. Contact us as soon as you can at 1-877-428-6004.

INSTALL AND OPERATE YOUR GENERATOR SAFELY

Generators that aren’t installed correctly put you, your family, your property and our line crews at risk.

Safe installation

If you plan to connect your generator directly to your electrical system, a qualified electrician must install it. The electrician must apply for a wiring permit and have the generator inspected by a Nova Scotia Power wiring inspector before it is used.
Never feed power from your generator into a wall outlet or directly into your electrical system. This could allow power to back-feed into Nova Scotia Power’s system and result in severe injury or death to our employees. When power is restored after and outage, it may feed directly into your generator, causing severe damage. To eliminate this dangerous situation, a transfer switch is required to be properly installed by a qualified electrician.

Safe operation

To ensure you are using your generator safely:

Carefully read the owner’s manual before using your generator.
Never operate the generator indoors or in an enclosed space. Generators emit deadly carbon monoxide fumes. Operate outdoors in a well-ventilated, dry area to prevent exhaust fumes from entering windows, doors and fresh air intake areas.
Operating your generator in wet conditions may cause electrocution. Avoid contact with the generator if you are wet or standing in water.
Check cords running from your generator to make sure they are in good condition, rated for outdoor use and are the proper wire gauge size for the appliance load.
Do not store fuel indoors or refuel your generator while it’s running.

Carbon monoxide can kill

Carbon monoxide is a gas you cannot see or smell created by the combustion of fuels, such as gasoline, wood, coal, natural gas, propane, oil, and methane.
Every year, dozens of Nova Scotians are admitted to hospital with carbon monoxide poisoning, and in some cases the poisoning is fatal. Symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning can include headache, nausea, dizziness, and blurred vision.
There are many common sources of carbon monoxide, including vehicles, furnaces and blocked chimneys. Generators can also be a source, so it is essential that generators are installed properly, outside, and away from any potential point of entry that would allow fumes into your home or business.
All homes should have a carbon monoxide detector, particularly if you have a furnace, woodstove, generator, or garage. Carbon monoxide detectors are sold at most hardware and home supply stores.

For more information on carbon monoxide, the proper installation and use of detectors, and safety tips, please visit 811 Nova Scotia and the Halifax Professional Firefighters Association.

CANDLES

Candles aren’t recommended for emergency lighting because of the risk of fire. If you do use candles, make sure you use proper candle holders, never leave them unattended and keep them away from combustible materials. Always have a suitable fire extinguisher in your home.

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

Outage Information

Customers can report outages online via the outage map or by calling Nova Scotia Power’s outage line at 1-877-428-6004. Restoration times are also available by calling the outage line or checking the outage map, which is updated every 15 minutes.