Prepared for Hurricane Fiona: Nova Scotia Power to Activate Emergency Operations Centre

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HALIFAX – Nova Scotia Power will be activating its Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) Friday at 8am, (September 23) ahead of the first Hurricane expected to impact Nova Scotia this season.

Customers are encouraged to monitor their local weather forecasts and be prepared themselves. It’s always a good idea to have an emergency kit with flashlights handy, as well as a battery-powered radio and fresh water. A full list of safety and storm preparedness tips is available at: www.nspower.ca/stormready

“We have been monitoring Hurricane Fiona for several days and have been taking steps to prepare,” said Sean Borden, Nova Scotia Power’s storm lead. “Based on the recent weather forecasts, we are opening our Emergency Operations Centre Friday at 8am to ensure proper plans and crews are in place to manage our storm response.”

The EOC provides a central place to coordinate planning for outage restoration and response. It is staffed with employees from across the company. NS Power is also coordinating closely with the Nova Scotia Emergency Management Office.

“We are taking every precaution and will be ready to respond to Hurricane Fiona as safely and efficiently as possible,” said Borden.

Outage Information

Customers can report outages and get estimated restoration times online at outagemap.nspower.ca or by calling 1-877-428-6004. For more info on restoration phases visit: http://nspower.ca/storm 

QUICK FACTS: Hurricanes & Tropical Storms

  • given the advance notice of hurricanes and tropical storms, we are able to monitor and track in the days leading up to possible landfall, which allows us to prepare ahead for various scenarios;
  • the data from historical tropical storms helps us determine where to position crews across the province;
  • the impact is similar to wind storms, however it can be even more significant with interruptions over a longer period of time;
  • there is often damage to infrastructure which can take longer to repair (ie. broken poles and downed lines)
  • wind can also impact restoration efforts as crews must stand down when winds reach 80km/hour until it is safe to go back up in the buckets;
  • if a customer’s electrical equipment is damaged – such as a meter mast – they need a certified electrician to make repairs before NS Power can safely restore power.

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. 

Media Contact:

Jacqueline Foster

NSP Senior Communications Advisor

902-225-4735

Jacqueline.foster@nspower.ca

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