Nova Scotia Power Activating its Emergency Operations Centre

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HALIFAX – Nova Scotia Power is activating its Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) at 10 a.m. Friday (January 7) , in advance of the winter storm.

“Weather forecasts are calling for heavy, wet snow and high winds, beginning Friday into Saturday morning,” said Sean Borden, Nova Scotia Power’s storm lead. “As we continue to monitor the forecasts, we are positioning powerline crews and forestry teams across the province so we are ready to respond as safely and 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 assist where needed and help coordinate the restoration response.

“Based on the current forecast, we expect this storm to cause power outages across the province.” Borden said. “We are taking every precaution to ensure 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 restoration phases visit: http://nspower.ca/storm.

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 during restoration efforts;
  • 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 how fast crews are able to access affected areas;
  • if a customer’s electrical equipment is damaged, they need a certified electrician to make repairs before NS Power can safely restore power.

FOR BROADCAST USE

NOVA SCOTIA POWER IS ACTIVATING ITS EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTRE AT 10AM FRIDAY IN ADVANCE OF THE WINTER STORM EXPECTED TO AFFECT MUCH OF THE PROVINCE FRIDAY INTO SATURDAY MORNING.

THE UTILITY IS PREPARING FOR THE STORM BY POSITIONING POWERLINE CREWS AND FORESTRY TEAMS ACROSS THE PROVINCE.  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.

Media contact:

Jacqueline Foster

Nova Scotia Power

(902) 225.4735

jacqueline.foster@nspower.ca

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