Nova Scotia Power Activating its Emergency Operations Centre

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HALIFAX – Nova Scotia Power is activating its Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) at 10am Saturday (January 29), in advance of the fourth winter storm this month. 

“Weather forecasts are calling for another mix of rain, snow, freezing rain and winds reaching more than 80km an hour, beginning Saturday and continuing into Sunday,” said Sean Borden, Nova Scotia Power’s storm lead. “As we continue to monitor the forecasts, we are positioning power line crews and forestry teams across the province so we are ready to respond safely and as quickly as possible.”  

The EOC is staffed with employees from all parts of the company.  It provides a central place to coordinate planning for outage restoration and response. Nova Scotia Power is also coordinating closely with the Nova Scotia Emergency Management Office and has a team onsite to help coordinate the response.

“This will be our fourth winter storm in less than a month and based on the current forecast this weather system is expected to impact the entire province,” Borden said. “We are taking every precaution and ensuring we have our team and resources, in the right places so we are ready to respond.”

Customer Safety

NS Power encourages customers to monitor their local weather forecasts and prepare accordingly. Some tips include having an emergency kit with flashlights, battery-powered radio and fresh water.  For a full list of safety and storm preparedness tips: www.nspower.ca/stormready.

Outage Information

Customers can report outages and get estimated times of restoration (ETRs) online at outagemap.nspower.ca or by calling 1-877-428-6004.  For more info on how power is restored in a storm, please visit: http://nspower.ca/storm.

Damaged Electrical Equipment

Sometimes a customer’s electrical equipment – such as a meter mast – can get damaged in a storm.  If this happens, it’s important to remember they will need a certified electrician to make repairs before NS Power can safely restore their power.

    QUICK FACTS

    • wind storms can cause power lines to come down due to trees or branches falling on them;
    • the impact can vary depending on strength of the wind, how long it lasts and how fast the system moves across a region/province;
    • wind can impact restoration efforts as crews stand down when winds reach 80km/hour until it is safe to go back up in the buckets;
    • heavy wet snow can also create significant damage in a small area;
    • the extra weight of snow and ice can bring power lines down and can also break poles and damage equipment, which can also create safety issues for crews working to restore power;
    • the impact can also be felt after snow melts and trees spring back up from the weight of the snow;
    • heavy snow can affect road conditions and in turn impact how fast crews are able to get to affected areas.

    FOR BROADCAST USE

    NOVA SCOTIA POWER IS OPENING ITS EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTRE AT 10AM SATURDAY IN ADVANCE OF THE FOURTH WINTER STORM THIS MONTH.

    THE UTILITY IS POSITIONING POWER LINE CREWS AND FORESTRY TEAMS ACROSS THE PROVINCE IN PREPARATION FOR THE STORM.  IT IS ALSO BRINGING IN MORE STAFF FOR THE CUSTOMER CARE CENTRE.

    NOVA SCOTIA POWER STORM LEAD, SEAN BORDEN, SAYS CREWS WILL BE READY TO RESPOND TO ANY OUTAGES AS QUICKLY AND SAFELY AS POSSIBLE.  THEY ENCOURAGE CUSTOMERS TO MONITOR THE FORECAST AND BE PREPARED TOO.

    STORM SAFETY TIPS CAN BE FOUND ON NOVA SCOTIA POWER’S WEBSITE: WWW.NSPOWER.CA/STORMREADY

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    About Nova Scotia Power

    Nova Scotia Power Inc. is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Emera Inc. (TSX-EMA), a diversified energy and services company. Nova Scotia Power provides 95% of the generation, transmission and distribution of electrical power to more than 525,000 residential, commercial and industrial customers across Nova Scotia. The company is focused on new technologies to enhance customer service and reliability, reduce emissions and add renewable energy. Nova Scotia Power has over 1,700 employees and $4.1 billion in operating assets. Learn more at www.nspower.ca.

    Contact:

    Jacqueline Foster

    NSP Senior Communications Advisor

    902-225-4735

    Jacqueline.foster@nspower.ca

     

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