NS Power to Open Emergency Operations Centre Ahead of Storm

HALIFAX – Nova Scotia Power is activating its Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) Monday morning, (December 18) at 9am ahead of the high winds and rain expected to hit the province.

“We’ve been monitoring the weather forecasts for the last number of days and have made the decision to open the Emergency Operation Centre to coordinate our storm response,” said Matt Drover, Nova Scotia Power’s Storm Lead. “Based on those forecasts we are expecting something very similar to last Monday, with rain and high winds for long durations across much of the province,” said Drover.

Nova Scotia Power is working closely with the Nova Scotia Emergency Management Office and crews are being positioned in various communities across the province, so they are ready to respond quickly, when it’s safe to do so.

“High winds can cause trees to come into contact with power lines damaging equipment and causing power outages,” said Drover. “They can also slow restoration efforts depending on the extent of the damage they cause, and force crews to stand down when winds reach 80km an hour, as it isn’t safe to be up in the buckets,” said Drover.

Outage Information 

Customers can report outages and get estimated restoration times online at outagemap.nspower.ca or by calling 1-877-428-6004. Estimated restoration times are updated once crews are able to assess the damage. For more info on restoration phases visit: http://nspower.ca/storm

Safety and storm preparedness tips can be found on our website: www.nspower.ca/stormready

QUICK FACTS:

• NS Power has invested $32 million in tree trimming this year (2023) – $7 million more than last year. That investment will increase to $42 million next year (2024).
• Along with tree trimming, we’ve been doing other proactive upgrades and maintenance throughout the year including replacing poles with stronger more resilient ones. This helps prepare the system for high winds and extreme weather like this.

• The average number of hours of wind gusts over 80km an hour in the last five years is up 54% from the five years before that.
• High winds can cause damage by bringing trees and branches into contact with power lines, causing outages.
• If a customer’s electrical equipment is damaged – such as a meter mast – they’ll need a certified electrician to make repairs before NS Power can safely restore power.