NOVA SCOTIA
In a live press conference Friday, Jason Mew, director of incident management for the Nova Scotia EMO, says he expects the storm to be very severe and urges everyone to be prepared. He says NS EMO activated the provincial coordination center at 8am on Friday “All of our key partners — municipalities, provincial departments, federal key agencies and critical infrastructure partners — will be in our operations center prioritizing restorations and looking at those impacts,” he said, adding that the fire has been activated and the team. Mew says steps have also been taken to protect those living without a home. “We’ve had municipal and provincial officials reach out to those who are living poorly and have set up various comfort centers and shelters,” he said. Mew says there is transportation available to bring people to the shelters where he says there will be hot food. Nova Scotia Power (NSP) chief Matt Drover says utility crews are preparing for major outages. He says, at this point, it’s hard to say how long any outages might last. “But rest assured, we’re doing everything we can to get people organized across the province to restore power as quickly as possible,” Drover said. He says once the storm is over, NSP crews will head out to assess any damage and better understand how long it might take to bring power back online. “So really, it’s about getting the crews out in the field to figure out the level of damage,” Dover said. As for priorities for restoring power in Nova Scotia, Drover says crews’ first focus will be on downed wires and any emergencies. “And then we will focus on our transmission system, we will work very closely with the EMO and work to ensure that once the transmission system is restored, we will focus on hospitals and public health areas like this.” Once power is restored to essential services, Drover says the NSP will move into communities, sub-communities and individual homes to bring power back online. Erica Fleck, head of emergency management with Halifax Regional Fire and Emergency, says some areas, such as the Halifax Boardwalk and Peggy’s Cove Lighthouse, will be closed and barricaded to keep people out of the water. “We’re reminding residents and asking them not to go there, and again, in the Lawrencetown area where the waves and the wave watchers tend to come out. It’s going to be really dangerous, as well as any area near the water,” Fleck said. Christina Lamey, communications manager for the Regional Municipality of Cape Breton, says she hopes Center 200 in Sydney will open Friday night to serve as an evacuation center for residents. “Especially for residents who may feel unsafe from the storm, on the south shore of our borough,” he said. Lamey says a homeless shelter on Townsend Street in central Sydney will be open on an emergency basis. “So for those who are not housed, that’s where we would ideally direct those residents to go,” Lamey said. He adds that residents should prepare for flooding and very strong and damaging winds. “Generally speaking, it’s a hurricane blanket blowing across the region,” Lamey said. “This is of course a threat to anyone who has large trees around their home, which is right on the shoreline.”
PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND
During a press conference Friday afternoon, Prince Edward Island officials continued to advise residents to be as prepared as possible for inclement weather. “We’re in the final hours before we really start to see the beginnings of Fiona, so if there are any last-minute things to get or do, I suggest you do them now,” PEI Safety Minister Darlene Compton said during the live Press conference. Compton says as tempting as it is, residents should stay indoors during the storm and not go outside for photos and videos. “Tonight, overnight and tomorrow, some people may be curious and want to get closer to see the storm. My message is simple: don’t,” he said. “Don’t go near the water, don’t put yourself and others in danger, it’s dangerous. Then you might need emergency help and our first responders will come and help, but our resources really need to be focused where we need them .” After Fiona, Compton says provincial crews and others will be on the ground as soon as it’s safe to assess the damage. “As we’ve said in the past few days, this storm is going to affect us and we’re going to see damage. Our crews will be out, as well as our fire services, maintenance officers and our joint organizations, supporting our province and residents,” he said. Compton. Compton adds the province will have an online form starting Sunday for residents to report any damage. “The islanders will be both our eyes and ears,” he said.
Compton says a phone number will also be available Sunday for residents without internet to call and report damage. Tanya Mullally, with the PEI EMO, says islanders should expect significant rainfall and “winds we’ve never experienced before.” “We could see upwards of 120 to 130 kilometers per hour for an extended period of time,” he said. Because of the strong winds, Mullally says a strong storm is possible. “More specifically on the northern side of the province and all those low-lying areas,” he said. “But we could see impacts on other areas of the coast, not just on the north side. So I wouldn’t want anyone to think they’re out of danger,” he said. Mullally urges islanders in areas that have experienced storms and flooding in the past to secure their belongings and possibly seek higher ground. “So you can make sure you, your family and your friends stay safe,” he said. On Thursday, the province raised its emergency response to Level 2. This is a developing story and will be updated.
