**** NSP Release
Preparing for Tropical Storm Philippe: NS Power to Activate Emergency Operations Centre
Nova Scotia Power will be activating its Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) on Saturday (October 7) ahead of Tropical Storm Philippe.
“We’ve been keeping an eye on this tropical storm all week and based on the latest weather forecasts have decided to open our Emergency Operations Centre (EOC),” said Matt Drover, Nova Scotia Power’s Storm Lead.
“We are expecting high winds and rain, especially in the western part of the province and metro, as Philippe arrives overnight Saturday, and into Thanksgiving Sunday.”
The EOC provides a central place to coordinate planning for our storm response. It’s staffed with employees from across the company. Nova Scotia Power is also working closely with the Nova Scotia Emergency Management
Office.
“We are taking every precaution and will have crews in place and working to respond safely and as quickly as possible,” said Drover. “A sincere thank you to each and every member of our team and others who will be working
this holiday weekend. As our team finalizes plans, we encourage customers to be prepared as well, by monitoring local weather forecasts and ensuring their emergency kits are stocked and ready.”
You can find a full list of safety and storm preparedness tips on our website: www.nspower.ca/stormready
Building owners are also reminded to put the necessary measures in place to secure materials and debris at
construction sites to help reduce unnecessary power outages.
Outage Information
Customers can report outages and get estimated restoration times online at outagemap.nspower.ca or by calling
1-877-428-6004. Estimated restoration times are updated as our crews assess the damage. For more info on
restoration phases visit: http://nspower.ca/storm
QUICK FACTS:
Tropical Storms
• these systems are monitored and tracked several days leading up to possible landfall, which allows us to
prepare for various scenarios;
• data from historical tropical storms helps us determine where to position crews across the province;
• the impact is similar to windstorms; however, it can be even more significant with interruptions over a
longer period of time as infrastructure can be damaged in these conditions (broken poles, 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.
