NS Power says work done since Arthur has province better prepared for a storm
Posted Sep 12, 2017 05:53:59 AM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
HALIFAX – As crews work to restore power to Florida in the wake of hurricane Irma, Nova Scotia Power believes it is better prepared for a powerful storm here.
In 2014, post-tropical storm Arthur wreaked havoc on power in the province. A quarter-million Nova Scotians were without power – in some cases for days – and the response was called out as being “unacceptable” by Premier Stephen McNeil.
But work done since that storm means such a lacklustre response would not be the case again, according to Nova Scotia Power.
“If it was the same intensity as Arthur, it would be a lot different than last time,” said the utility’s Matt Drover to Global News. “Last time, most of the events were due to trees. While we would still have a lot of tree-related events, it would definitely be a lot less than last time based on all the vegetation management work that we’ve done.”
That work entails cutting back vegetation to ensure trees do not take out power lines in a wind storm.
Currently, a team from Nova Scotia Power is headed to Florida to help restore power in that state, but is prepared to return home immediately should a storm threaten the province.
