Current Power Outages:
HANTS —
Hantsport, Mt Denson, Hants Border, West Brooklyn and surrounding communities. 1,348 affected customers. Start Time - Jan. 4, 4:27 p.m. Estimated time of restoration - Jan. 7, 11:30 p.m. Cause - High winds.
Vaughan, Hants County. 2 outages, fewer than five each. Start Time - Jan. 4, 4:25 p.m. Estimated time of restoration - Jan. 7, 11:30 p.m. Cause - High winds.
KINGS —
Berwick area, Kings County. Fewer than 5 affected customers. Start Time - Jan. 4, 4:52 p.m. Estimated time of restoration - Jan. 7, 11:30 p.m. Cause - High winds.
Waterville, Kings County. Fewer than 5 affected customers. Start Time - Jan. 4, 3:15 p.m. Estimated time of restoration - Jan. 7, 11:30 p.m. Cause - High winds.
ANNAPOLIS —
Nictaux South, Annapolis County. Fewer than 5 affected customers. Start Time - Jan. 4, 3:32 p.m. Estimated time of restoration - Jan. 7, 11:30 p.m. Cause - High winds.
PROVINCE - Over 48,000 customers are without power as of 5:37 p.m. on Jan. 4, 2018. Outages are spread across the province, including Shelburne, Yarmouth and more coastal communities in Western Nova Scotia. Power outages are also being reported throughout Halifax, including the downtown, Dartmouth, Bedford and more. Large parts of Cape Breton are also without power. There are 442 active outages according to NS Power.
CANCELLATIONS - The Annapolis Valley Regional School Board and Chignecto-Central Regional School Board cancelled all classes for Jan. 4, 2018.
The Greenwood Mall Farmers' Market is also closed due to weather.
King's Transit has cancelled operations for the day.
NSCC Campuses at Kingstec (Kentville) and Cogs/Middleton (Annapolis) closed today.
The Village of New Minas Office and Louis Millett Community Complex will be closing at 12, noon.
Municipality of the County of Kings office will be closing at 12, noon.
County of Annapolis offices will remain closed today.
Town of Wolfville offices closed at 11 a.m.
Town of Berwick offices closed due to weather.
Kentville Town Hall has closed for the remainder of the day.
Municipality of East Hants office has closed due to road conditions.
Valley Credit Union branches in New Minas, Canning and Hantsport will be closing for remainder of the day.
CIBC locations in Kingston, Kentville, Greenwood and Windsor are closing at 12, noon.
All Annapolis Valley Regional Library branches are closed.
Acadia University basketball game vs Saint Mary's University cancelled.
Many incoming and outgoing flights at Halifax Stanfield International Airport have been cancelled or delayed.
Office of the Dept. of Agriculture, Cornwallis Park, Annapolis Co. is closed for the day.
It's advisable to call ahead before heading to any appointments today as many businesses and organizations are likely closing throughout the day as the storm progresses.
WINDSOR, N.S. - By noon on Jan. 4, 2018 it was already snowing in Kentville as winds began to pick up in intensity.
Across the Annapolis Valley snow, rain and strong winds are being seen as a major storm, which has been dubbed a weather bomb, steadily approaches the province. Thousands are already without power as of 12, noon in Nova Scotia.
Nova Scotia Department of Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal has tweeted that their vehicles are out in full force, adding that the weather conditions are worsening as some areas fluctuate between rain and snow.
The Municipality of East Hants tweeted that road conditions are worsening in their area, adding that the mix of rain and snow has lead to slushy conditions. They closed their office shortly after the announcement due to weather conditions.
Nova Scotia Power has brought in additional workers, approximately 1,000 people focused on storm-response, in what the utility is calling its biggest pre-storm mobilization of personnel and resources in the company’s history.
NSP says this is an effort to mitigate loss of power to customers in advance of a severe winter storm that is forecast to bring hurricane-force winds to Nova Scotia on Jan. 4.
“This is a bigger storm than the one that hit last week,” Karen Hutt, the president and CEO of Nova Scotia Power said in a news release. “The wind predictions are stronger, gusting up to 140 kilometres per hour, and more sustained, plus there is snow and rain on the front end.”
Additional crews, coming from as far as Hydro Quebec, will be a part of the effort to restore anticipated power outages during the storm, which has been dubbed a weather bomb, as cold air and warm air mix to create hurricane-like winds.
The company says they have been monitoring the storm, planning response, and securing resources for days leading up to the event.
The company activated its Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) at 8 p.m. on Jan. 3 leading up to the weather event. The EOC is the nerve centre for outage restoration planning and response and is staffed with employees representing all aspects of the company.
Nova Scotia Power says it will operate its EOC until the last customer is safely restored.
A press release from NSP says crews will begin restoring power as soon as it's safe to do so, but when winds are gusting above 80 km/hour, they have to make on-site assessments of whether to stand down for safety.
Restorations may not be able to begin until winds subside on Jan. 5.
“Weather forecasts suggest this could be the most damaging storm since Post Tropical Storm Arthur,” Hutt said. “Customers should be prepared for power outages lasting through the weekend, and perhaps into early next week. Freezing temperatures are predicted, so please plan for the safety of yourself and your family.”
Nova Scotia Power is opening its four payment depots in Kentville, Chester, Stellarton and Shelburne, as well its head office in Halifax, as comfort centres from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Jan. 4, 2017 and through to the end of local outage restoration.
Customers who’ve lost power will be able to warm up, have some coffee or hot chocolate, and recharge their devices. The specific locations are:
Kentville – 3 Calkin Dr.
Chester – 96 Valley Rd.
Stellarton – 26 Bridge Ave.
Shelburne – 261 Ohio Rd.
Halifax – 1223 Lower Water St.
NSP says residents are encouraged to call 1-877-428-6004 if they witness downed electrical wires or poles or want to report a power outage.
Residents should contact 911 in emergencies or if a situation becomes dangerous.
NSP also said in a press release that in situations where there are multiple power outages, Nova Scotia Power restores power in phases to ensure critical services like hospitals can stay open before beginning work in other areas. Larger outages on transmission lines and in substations are restored ahead of smaller outages to restore electricity to the greatest number of customers.
Some people may have thought Halifax Regional Municipality dodged a bullet on Thursday when a major storm failed to bring any snow to the Nova Scotia capital, but Mayor Mike Savage said the wind and rain are still expected to raise serious concerns for public safety.
“Let’s be clear that while we’re not getting snow, which sometimes is how we measure storms around here, we have very significant other issues which need to be dealt with,” he told reporters at a press conference Thursday afternoon in the foyer of the Eric Spicer Municipal Building in Dartmouth.
“We’re getting a sustained period of heavy rainfall, high gusting winds that will lead to downed trees and other property damage. Most significantly, we anticipate significant storm surge, so storm surge combined with high tides and wave action, and we anticipate a significant storm surge is expected to be at its worst at different points, gusting throughout the night.”
The peak surge was expected to be around 11 p.m., the mayor said, urging citizens in flood-prone areas to make a plan to stay overnight with family or friends elsewhere.
Meanwhile, Halifax Emergency Management co-ordinator Barry Manuel said comfort centres would be set up along coastal areas, if needed, depending on which regions get hit with power outages or flooding.
The Halifax Bridge Commission closed the MacKay bridge to high-sided vehicles early Thursday afternoon due to high winds, causing detours for some bus routes until buses were taken off the roads.
Metro Transit ceased ferry service early, with the final crossings at 2:30. Shuttle service was provided at all three ferry terminals.
Transit director Dave Reage told reporters bus service was being shut down late Thursday, with the last buses leaving their main depots at 4 p.m.
“This is just in the name of safety and ensuring the safety of the travelling public and our operators,” he said.
When it's cold, school is cancelled and the winter storm hasn't started children and parents take to skating. Like this group who took advantage of the weather on Lake Banook in Dartmouth on Thursday morning. (ERIC WYNNE Staff)
Don't forget to check the live power outage map.
The storm sweeping across the province caused thousands of power outages in Nova Scotia, although by mid-afternoon, Halifax police, fire and public works officials said no significant issues had occurred.
Outages were reported in Halifax, along the South and Eastern shores, and in Cape Breton.
Tiffany Chase of Nova Scotia Power said there were several reports of people hearing transformers or wires buzzing or sparking.
She said it’s not abnormal, and is caused by a buildup of salt during prolonged windy conditions. When it rains, she said, the water should wash the salt away and resolve the issue.
Anyone who sees sparking wires should call the NSP customer care centre at 1-800-428-6004.
With weather warnings for snow, rain, wind and storm surge all in effect, school boards across Nova Scotia closed public schools.
All English-language public schools werer closed, as well as CSAP schools from Clare to Pomquet. In Halifax, independent schools Armbrae Academy, Sacred Heart and Halifax Grammar stayed open.
At Stanfield Airport, cancelled flights represented the most common colour on both the departures and arrivals screens, followed by delays, with on-time flights last.
Marine Atlantic postponed crossings between North Sydney and Port aux Basques by 12 to 24 hours, and warned that other crossings could be affected.
Bay Ferries cancelled crossings between Digby and Saint John for day, and warned that Friday’s crossings might not happen either.
Power outages closed Nova Scotia Liquor Corporation stores on Wyse Road in Dartmouth, on First Lake drive in Lower Sackville and in Bayers Lake. The NSLC store in Shelburne was closed, but reopened when the lights came back on.
Nova Scotia Power announced it had put together the biggest pre-storm mobilization of personnel and resources in the company’s history in advance of the storm.
“This is a bigger storm than the one that hit last week,” Karen Hutt, President & CEO of Nova Scotia Power, said in a release. “The wind predictions are stronger, gusting up to 140 kilometres per hour, and more sustained, plus there is snow and rain on the front end.”
“We are calling in crews from as far away as Hydro Quebec. We will have more than 1,000 people dedicated to storm response, including frontline crews, damage assessors, planners, engineers, support staff, and customer care representatives.”
Crews will begin restoring power as soon as it’s safe, but when winds gust above 80 km/hour, they have to make on-site assessments of whether to stand down for safety. Restorations may not be able to begin until winds subside on Friday.
“Customers should be prepared for power outages lasting through the weekend, and perhaps into early next week,” Hutt said.
NSP opened payment depots in Kentville, Chester, Stellarton and Shelburne, as well its head office in Halifax, to serve as comfort centres until 8 p.m.
People who have lost power were able to warm up, have some coffee or hot chocolate, and recharge their electronic devices. The depots are at 3 Calkin Dr. in Kentville, 96 Valley Rd in Chester, 26 Bridge Ave. in Stellarton, 261 Ohio Rd. in Shelburns and 1223 Lower Water St. in Halifax.
Severe Storm: Emergency Preparation
Winter storm knocks out power to thousands in Nova Scotia
loading video... loading video...
Find Your Forecast Search for a location
Digital Reporter Hailey Montgomery
Thursday, January 4, 2018, 5:01 PM - Nova Scotia Power has called in 1,000 personnel, including crews from Hydro Quebec, in anticipation of more widespread outages as Atlantic Canada begins to face impacts from a major winter storm.
In anticipation of the storm, the company said in a statement they are "ramping up for the biggest pre-storm mobilization of personnel and resources in the company’s history.”
A major winter storm began to sweep through Atlantic Canada on Thursday, and by 5 p.m., over 85,000 customers had experienced power outages in Nova Scotia.
Watch below: Upcoming storm will likely impact air travel through the Maritimes
On Christmas Day, another severe system knocked out power to roughly 158,000 customers when strong winds snapped utility poles and send trees crashing into power lines.
The system, which developed just off the southeast coast of the U.S. on Wednesday, is expected to produce damaging wind gusts up 120 km/h on the Atlantic Coast, likely resulting in widespread power outages across the province.
As Nova Scotia Power spokesperson Caitlin Walker explains, winds with this storm could have more significant impacts to both the power grid and potential restoration efforts.
“It looks like it will be a bigger storm than the one that hit last week," she says. "I think the real issue here is that the winds will be more sustained, so, in that case, it’s just simply not safe for our crews to operate in conditions of 80 km/h winds.”
Watch below: 'Weather bomb' targets Maritimes, widespread damaging winds
The company predicts the storm will be the most damaging since post-tropical storm Arthur – an Atlantic cyclone which packed 90 km/h sustained winds when making landfall in Nova Scotia, wiping out power to 245,000 customers.
“We’re really urging our customers to prepare for outages that could even last throughout the weekend and perhaps into early next week,” Walker told The Weather Network.
To compound damaging winds, heavy snow with the store will likely make accessing utility sites more difficult. About 5-15 cm of snow is expected across Nova Scotia, with 15-20 cm possible on the higher terrain of Cape Breton and the Fundy region.
From Nova Scotia Power: Emergency Preparation Tips
Stay connected: Keep in mind some important points of contact as the storm approaches. If you would like to report an outage or downed power line, call Nova Scotia Power's outage line (1-877-428-6004). You can also visit nspower.ca/outages to view an updated outage map, and to look up latest restoration times. As well, monitor local weather forecasts and updates on social media from NS Power, and NS Emergency Management Office. Finally, if you're concerned about an immediate public safety risk, call 911.
Prepare your safety kit: Prepare a kit that will last you for several days if needed. A few suggested items include fresh water, charged electric devices, a battery charged flashlight, and non-perishable food items, etc.
Stay away from wires: If you see a downed wire, consider it live and stay away from it. You can report downed wires at 1-877-428-6004.
Watch below: 9v battery power outage hacks you should use
Outage Centre Nova Scotia Power View outage map. See near real time information about all power outages affecting our customers on our outage map. ABOUT THE MAP. Learn about the features and .
Nova Scotia Power Nova Scotia. EN US >.
Myaccount Nspower Ca Nova Scotia Power MyAccount is Nova Scotia Power’s online customer portal that makes it easy and convenient for you to review your energy use, pay and view your bills, and more..
View Current Outages Nv Energy Enter a phone number if you would like to be contacted when power is restored.
Power Saving Back Ups Ns Va Apc United States Services. Services. Schneider Electric Critical Power Cooling Services CPCS provides the expertise, services, and support you need for your building, industry .
Flights To Syracuse Affected By Power Outage At Atlantas Two flights headed to Syracuse were affected by a massive power outage at Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta International Airport Sunday..
