Nova Scotia Power Activating Emergency Operations Centre

Halifax, NS – Nova Scotia Power will be activating its Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) tonight (Thursday, December 4) at 6 PM ahead of another wintery blast of weather expected to move across Nova Scotia this afternoon and into tomorrow (Friday, December 5).

The latest forecasts are calling for a mix of rain and wet snow to start this afternoon, changing to snow later in the day. Strong winds are also expected to impact the province tonight and tomorrow and are anticipated to exceed warning levels in the Northeast part of the province and Cape Breton.

“When wind reaches this speed, it can bring trees and branches into power lines, which is the leading cause of outages during storms,” said Jill Searle, Nova Scotia Power’s Storm Lead. “We are also keeping a close eye on temperatures and how quickly they drop. With rain and wet snow already down, this could create challenging conditions on the road."

The EOC provides a central place to coordinate planning for outage restoration and response. It is staffed with employees from all parts of the company focused on storm response efforts. The team will also be working closely with the Nova Scotia Emergency Management Office.

“We have been monitoring the forecasts and crews across the province are ready to respond,” said Searle.

Nova Scotia Power is investing $1.3 billion over five years in work to improve reliability of service for customers by strengthening and modernizing the electricity grid. This includes an average of $250 million in projects across Nova Scotia each year. Over the last three years, we have also nearly doubled our investment in tree trimming from $25 million to $45 million.

Outage Information

Customers can report outages and get estimated restoration times online at outagemap.nspower.ca or by calling 1-877-428-6004.

Quick Facts: High wind and heavy, wet snow

• The extra weight of heavy wet snow and ice on trees can cause them to bring down power lines, break poles, and/or damage equipment, which can also create safety issues for crews restoring power.
• Challenging or dangerous road conditions can sometimes slow restoration efforts by our crews as they travel throughout communities.
• If a customer’s electrical equipment is damaged, such as a meter mast, they’ll need a certified electrician to make repairs before we can safely restore power.

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