Thousands still without power after wind storm, some schools still closed

More than 14,000 NB Power customers were still without power and a few schools remained closed Tuesday after a wind storm ripped through the province over the weekend.

In one Albert County area, the power disruption has made 911 calls impossible,

• Check out the latest cancellations at New Brunswick's Storm Centre

The closed schools, inthe Anglophone West and Anglophone North school districts, are:

• Bliss CarmanMiddle School.
• GearyElementary Community School.
• Bonar Law Memorial School.
• Harcourt School.

About 7,000 of the power outageswere in the Fredericton area and about 3,000 in Kent County.

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Parts of the province were hit with 110-kilometre-an-hour winds Saturday night, and power was knocked out to more than 92,000 households.

Sheila Lagac, a spokesperson forNBPower, said power to about 80 per cent of customers hasbeen restored. The utility is aiming to have all power restored by Wednesday night.

NB still without power

6 years ago

Duration 1:01

More than 20,000 NB Power customers remain without power almost three days following Saturdays powerful windstorm.

"We're doing our best to reconnect people as fast as possible but we don't know what crews are going to run into and what could make restoration efforts take longer," she said.

Right now, about 250crews with NB Power are restoring power across the province with additional crews from outside the province. That numberis up from 200 crews earlier Tuesday morning.

"We continue to work at restoring the power and assessing the damage as quickly and safely as possible,"she said.

Cleanup continues, life goes on

The sounds of chain saws and wood chippers filled the air in Fredericton on Tuesday as crews cleaned up trees that fell during the storm.

The mess didn't spare Mary Lou Delvasto's yard, or the trees in it.

"It looks like a war zone," Delvasto said.

"The gazebos down, trees are down, there's wire laying on the ground."

Courtney Stacey has been without power since 9 p.m. Saturday.

She's still staying in her home but has had to make some adjustments to her routine.

"I've been charging my phone in my car just when I'm going around driving," Stacey said.

"I'm able to go to work and shower there, and they've set up a good spot for us. Not here, it's freezing cold."

Delvasto was able to find a silver lining in the lingering clouds.

"It could be a lot worse because this could be snow and it could be the middle of January, so I feel very lucky," said Delvasto.

Higgslooking for answers

Premier-designate Blaine Higgs said he has concerns about how the number ofoutages, and the time it has taken to fix them.

He said he wants to know how many of the recommendations made after 2017's ice storm were implemented before the latest storm to disrupt services.

"I want to know exactly the status of that," said Higgs, adding he's asked Judy Wagner, the deputy minister in the Executive Council Office, for a report.

Higgs also said there is an issue with co-ordination of emergency resources in unincorporated areas because there are so many groups with that responsibility.

"That was a major concern and it was when I met with the municipalities," he said.

"Because they were out travelling around looking for homes, because they didn't know where they were, and they didn't have any one person they could go to in [a local service district] that would know, 'OK, here's the list.'"

Keeping generators outside

Wayne Knorr, a spokesperson for the City of Fredericton, advised residents not to keepgenerators inside their homes.

On Monday, four members of a family suffered carbon monoxide poisoning because they were using a generatorinside their home on Douglas Avenue.

• The silent killer: How carbon monoxide creeps into your home

Theywere taken to hospital after carbon monoxidelevels in some parts of the house read 600 parts per million, which is considered to be high.

Robert Duguay, a spokesperson for the New Brunswick Emergency Measures Organization, said items like barbecues and camping stoves should also stay outside "at a good distance from homes."

In January 2017,twopeople died from carbon monoxide poisoningafter the ice storm that hit the Acadian Peninsula.

911 calls not getting out

Elgin and the parish surrounding the Albert County community were among the areas that lost power on the weekend.The outages affect about 400 people living in the community and 400 people inoutlying areas.

Elgin Fire Chief Kent Steevessaid service in the main hub of the community has been restored since then, but most of the outlying areas still do not have power.

"My biggest concern is how do we have 911 calls go out," Steeves said. "Andhow do we receive them because our emergency line is down as well?

With no cellphones, no warming centres we're kind of left on our own.-Elgin Fire Chief KentSteeves

"[The]PetitcodiacFire Department's line happens to be running off the same tower as ours, and their emergency line is down as well."

In a situation like this, Steeves said, residents are forced to "fend for themselves" or they can try to find a high point in the area where they can get one or two cellphone bars or they can get into their vehicles and drive until they get reception.

On Monday, Steeves said, firefighters went door to door to check on seniors and other people.

"Any time we find the hydro is out for any length of time, especially with the phones being out, we decide that maybe it's a good timeto get around and check on the elderly."

For months,Steeveshas been pushing MPs andMLAs in the area to get cell coverage.

"With no cellphones, no warming centres we're kind of left on our own," he said.

"We need to have those assurances put in our places just like they are put in other places around this province."

Warming stations set up

Power out in New Brunswick

6 years ago

Duration 0:58

New Brunswick is still waiting for power to be restored after Saturday's wind storm.

Knorrsaid three warming and charging stations will be set up again across the city on Tuesday.

Fredericton region

• Salvation Army, 531 St. Mary's St., Fredericton charging station only
• HanwellMunicipal Office, 5-1757 Route 640,Hanwell charging station only
• St. James Presbyterian Church, 1991 Highway 640,Hanwell charging station only, serving refreshments, open until 8 p.m.
• WillieO'ReePlace,MabieLane, Fredericton showers available open 6 a.m. untilmidnight
• Grant Harvey Centre, 600 Knowledge Park Dr., Fredericton showers available open 6 a.m. untilmidnight
• Fredericton YMCA, 570 York St., Fredericton showers available
• UpperNashwaakLions Club, 1284 Route 107, Stanley charging station only
• NashwaakVilla, 67 Lime Kiln Rd., Stanley
• UpperKingsclearFire Department, 22MazerolleSettlement Rd., UpperKingsclear showers available
• Estey'sBridge Community Centre, 1388 Route 620 Highway, Fredericton charging station only
• Fredericton Junction Fire Department, 102WilseyRd., Fredericton Junction open until 5 p.m.
• RusagonisCommunity Centre, 1609 Post Rd. open until 3 p.m.
• New Maryland Fire Department, 584 New Maryland Highway, New Maryland open until 9 p.m.
• ChipmanFire Department, 10 Civic Ct., Unit 1,Chipman open until 5 p.m.
• DumfriesFire Department, 7222 Highway 102 open until 5 p.m.
• OromoctoHazenPark Centre, Covert Street,Oromocto open until 8 p.m.
• MintoFire Department 191 Main St. open until 4 p.m.

Monctonregion

• HillsboroughVillage Office, 2849 Main St., Unit 1,Hillsborough charging station only
• Riverside-Albert Village Office, 5823 King St., Riverside-Albert showers available
• Alma Activity Centre, 8 School St., Alma charging station only
• Town ofRiverviewFire Station, 650 Pinewood Rd.,Riverview light refreshments, open until 7 p.m.
• Dieppe Aquatic and Sports Centre, 111AquatiqueSt., Dieppe showers available
• Riverview Fire Station, 650 Pinewood Road, between 11 a.m. and 7 p.m.

Kent Region

• Saint-Louis-de-Kent, Centre Aqua-Kent, 33, duCollgeSt., Saint-Louis de Kent from 8:30 a.m. untilnoon, 4:30 until 9 p.m. showers available
• Bouctouche, Centre JK Irving, 30vanglineSt., showers available 6 a.m. until11 p.m.
• BeersvilleFire Hall, 4035 Route 465, Fords Mills, 5 until 9 p.m.
• RichibuctouVillage Fire Hall, 6 Forge St., 5 until 9 p.m.

Miramichiregion

• UpperMiramichiFire Department, 6327 Route 8,Boiestown open until this evening.
• UpperMiramichiMunicipal Office, 6094 Route 8,Boiestown showers available open until this evening.
• BlackvilleFire Hall, 135 Main St.,Blackville open until 10 p.m.

Fundy region

• Town Hall of GrandBay-Westfield, 609 River Valley Drive open 8 a.m. until5 p.m.
• MusquashFire Hall, 35 MalcolmMeehanRd,Musquash5 p.m. until9 p.m.
• Fire Hall 1270 Route 790, Dipper Harbour 5 p.m. until9 p.m.

WestmorlandRegion

• Fire Hall, located at 41 east Main Street, Port Elgin 5 Nov until 9 p.m.

Campbelltonregion

• Civic Centre, 44 Salmon Blvd.,Campbellton open until 9 p.m.