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Post-Fiona restoration efforts continue in P.E.I. as 62,000 customers remain without power

CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. — Over 62,000 houses are nonetheless with out energy on P.E.I. as Maritime Electrical continues its cleanup and restoration efforts throughout the Island following post-tropical storm Fiona.

Throughout a press convention on Sept. 27, Kim Griffin, spokesperson for Maritime Electrical, stated the utility has restored energy to 21,000 clients since most Island houses went darkish between Sept. 23-24.

Griffin stated crucial areas like grocery shops, fuel stations and potential service centres are nonetheless a important focus for restoration, in addition to the bigger pockets of consumers that may be introduced on-line directly.

“As we’re restoring strains, the final group of consumers to come back on-line will probably be as we ship crews to particular person outages. So proper now, it’s the biggest pockets by neighborhood,” she stated.

“There isn’t a neighborhood prioritized over the opposite, it is all about how the system works, the place the important companies are.”

Griffin stated the utility presently has 99 crews working throughout the Island, with 28 extra crews anticipated to reach on Sept. 28.

Truckloads of energy poles have arrived in P.E.I. to exchange the roughly 350 poles damaged by Fiona, stated Griffin, nevertheless the utility remains to be making an attempt to supply some parts for these replacements.

Griffin stated exterior of the 1000’s of toppled timber that took down energy strains through the storm, one of many largest difficulties Maritime Electrical crews have confronted is site visitors, noting one crew reported taking 45 minutes to journey down North River Street in Charlottetown.

Regardless of this, Premier Dennis King stated the province is not asking residents to remain off the roads, citing a have to return to regular.

“I simply assume we’re starting to make these steps again. Now we have to make them cautiously, in order that doesn’t imply everyone has to stampede out, run round and do every thing,” he stated.

“I believe we additionally need to dwell within the actuality of the world we dwell in. Not everybody was heeding that recommendation, not everybody was staying at dwelling. We do have to know that individuals have been locked up for 2 years for COVID and we now have to allow them to to start to maneuver round.”

Griffin cautioned these venturing out to keep away from energy strains on the bottom, as they could possibly be harmful as energy is restored.

“We’re persevering with to ask folks to remain away from them,” stated Griffin.

“We don’t need anybody close to (downed energy strains), and our crews are attempting to get in and clear up as shortly as they will in communities as they re-energize.”



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