P.E.I. utility taking another look at system after thousands lose power

CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. — Maritime Electrical is spending the following two days doing a visible inspection of its system after 1000’s of Island clients — a few of whom solely not too long ago bought reconnected after post-tropical storm Fiona — misplaced energy once more on Oct. 19.

Kim Griffin, spokesperson for the utility, advised SaltWire Community on Oct. 20 that rain, wind and presumably lightning brought about points within the central and jap elements of P.E.I.

A pole fireplace was accountable for 1,308 clients dropping energy at 6 p.m. within the Strathgartney space; timber got here down on traces within the Eldon and Belfast space throwing about 200 clients out; and lightning and timber falling on traces is suspected for being the reason for greater than 6,000 clients dropping energy in jap P.E.I.

Griffin mentioned everybody was restored by 2 a.m. on Oct. 20.

“There would have been a lot of people who bought up (on Oct. 20) with flashing alarm clocks,’’ Griffin mentioned.

Visible inspections

Griffin mentioned Maritime Electrical has 74 crews energetic throughout the province doing all the pieces from coping with cleanup from post-tropical storm Fiona, fixing the Oct. 19 outages and serving to clients who had their masts fall.

Griffin mentioned a helicopter will probably be used to evaluate issues from the air, simply because it did following the Sept. 24 storm and crews on the bottom will probably be doing the identical factor.

“We now have crews assigned to go and do visible inspections, taking a look at issues … on the transmission system.’’

Griffin mentioned Maritime Electrical is aware of among the timber that didn’t fall in Fiona have been weakened by the storm and should come down. The utility will want permission from personal landowners to chop down among the timber.

Windy circumstances

Many individuals in P.E.I. are wincing nowadays at any forecast that requires wind and rain as a result of timber have been weakened.

Hong Li and her husband, Jingyuang Dong, are nonetheless coping with a tree on the roof of their Charlottetown residence and a yard plagued by fallen timber from their neighbours’ property.

Li mentioned the couple simply bought energy again not too long ago after their mast was knocked off.

Li advised SaltWire Community that climate circumstances scare her a bit greater than they did earlier than Fiona.

“I fear in regards to the huge tree on the roof and our roof leaking,’’ Li mentioned. “If it snows my home could also be broken.’’

Jennifer Robertson, of Riverton, which is north of Cardigan, mentioned she misplaced energy at 9:30 p.m. on Oct. 19.

The primary thought by way of her thoughts was: not once more.

“After 13 days with out energy I knew it could probably be again by morning and it was,’’ Robertson mentioned in a social media message to SaltWire Community. “I’ve timber which can be hanging by a thread and I see them in all places. I’m getting ready to take care of a whole lot of small outages all winter as timber die and break simpler than different winters. Such enjoyable.’’

Griffin estimatesthe present cleanup will take one other few weeks.

“We nonetheless have a whole lot of poles and particles down and locations the place we have to stabilize the system. It’s mainly stuff we’ve to get again to after concentrating on restoration.’’

Dave Stewart is a reporter with the SaltWire Community in Prince Edward Island. He could be reached at [email protected] and on Twitter @DveStewart