**** NSP Media Release
Nova Scotia Power Opens Emergency Operations Centre
Nova Scotia Power will open its Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) in advance of a significant wind and rain storm expected to hit the province starting overnight and into tomorrow.
“The latest storm is expected to bring high winds overnight tonight and into Friday, along with rain and a risk of flash freezing,” says Sean Borden, Nova Scotia Power’s storm lead. “We are activating our Emergency Operations Centre and positioning our team across the province, so we are ready to respond as safely and quickly as possible.”
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. Nova Scotia Power is also working closely with the provincial Emergency Management Office (EMO) and has a team onsite to help coordinate the response.
“It has been a busy winter storm season. We are preparing for our seventh storm in as many weeks,” Borden said. “We will ensure we are well positioned across the province in order to be able to respond as needed for our customers.”
Customer Safety
Customers are encouraged to have an emergency kit reach with flashlights, a battery-powered radio and fresh water. We also encourage them to keep an eye on local weather forecasts so they can prepare accordingly. A list of storm safety and preparedness tips can be found on our website: www.nspower.ca/stormready
Outage Information
Customers can report outages and get the most up-to-date information on estimated times of restoration (ETRs) online at outagemap.nspower.ca or by calling 1-877-428-6004.
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
• high winds can cause power lines to come down due to trees or branches falling on lines
• the impact can vary depending on the strength of the wind and how fast the system moves across a region/province
o 80km/hour winds can weaken branches/limbs on trees which can come down later
o 90km/hour winds can start taking whole trees down
o 100km+/hour can take multiple trees in one location down
• high winds can slow restoration efforts as crews stand down when winds reach 80km/hour until it is safe to go back up in the buckets
• the freezing rain and ice can affect road conditions and in turn impact how fast crews are able to get to affected areas.
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