Power has been cut to the vast majority of PEI households as of Monday morning 48 hours after Hurricane Fiona hit the province on Saturday. Fiona hit PEI in the early hours of Saturday morning, bringing heavy rain and winds in excess of 170 km/h. There are reports of extensive property damage, but no serious human injuries. As of Monday morning, power remained out to more than 80,000 customers of Maritime Electric, the utility company for nearly the entire island. Power was restored at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Charlottetown on Sunday. Maritime Electric spokeswoman Kim Griffin told Island Morning that 2,000 customers had power restored Sunday, but she could not give an estimate for others. “We just don’t know,” Griffin said. “We’re making progress. Two thousand customers doesn’t sound like a lot for a restoration, but if you’d asked me 24 hours ago, the crews didn’t think they could do it.” Summerside Electric, which serves PEI’s second city, had restored power to downtown, eastern areas and large parts of the northern part of the city by Sunday evening. Summerside Electric posted this map on their Facebook page. (Summerside Electric) In a Facebook post, the city said nine of the 11 distribution circuits had been repaired. As of Sunday afternoon, work was expected to be completed soon, but local issues could take days to resolve, the city said.
Military to help clean up
Members of the Canadian Armed Forces have arrived on PEI to assist with cleanup efforts as the majority of islanders continue to be without power. Drone footage showing damage to the Queen Charlotte Intermediate building in Charlottetown. (Shane Hennessey/CBC) Premier Dennis King announced Sunday afternoon that 100 military personnel were to arrive that night and begin assisting provincial crews by Monday morning after a request for help sent Saturday was approved by the federal government. King said the government would work on an emergency financial aid package to help individuals and industries and that the federal government was committed to putting together a plan with the finances needed to rebuild the docks “as soon as possible.” In a statement on Monday morning, the province again urged islanders not to venture outside except in an emergency. “Stay home or nearby as much as you can,” the statement said. “The best way to help crews and first responders is to stay off the roads as much as possible.” The province was expected to issue another update on Monday.
Internet and cell phone service
Cell phone service and internet access remained intermittent on Sunday. A Bell Aliant spokesperson told CBC News that the majority of the company’s wireless sites in PEI were running on either battery backup or generators. Eastlink officials said falling trees, poles and lines were creating challenges for crews. And Rogers said in a statement that teams were coming from Ontario and Quebec to help.
Schools closed, hospitals rely on generators
Bottom pole. (Shane Hennessey/CBC) Schools on the island will remain closed until at least Tuesday, with a further announcement to be made on that day. King said at least six schools have sustained significant damage and the Department of Education is reviewing emergency plans. Health PEI confirmed that power to Prince County Hospital and Queen Elizabeth Hospital was restored as of Sunday afternoon. The rest were open, but running on generators. Power was also restored at the Irving Oil terminal in Charlottetown, which the premier said will allow natural gas to be distributed island-wide. Poles are declining across PEI (Jane Robertson/CBC)
