Emergency Crews Make Final Push to Restore Electricity in Valley

Emergency Management Office Minister Mark Furey said today, July 10, crews are making a significant effort to restore power to Nova Scotians still without it, five days after post-tropical storm Arthur.

"Our first priority is making sure that electricity is restored to all areas as quickly as possible," said Mr. Furey. "We will continue to work with provincial and municipal officials and other partners to ensure Nova Scotians have access to all essential services."

Most of the province felt Arthur's impact, with some places hit with up to 140-kilometre winds, which felled trees and brought power outages.

About 3,900 Nova Scotians are without electrical service, 2,200 of them in the Valley region. This is down from a peak of about 165,000 households.

Mr. Furey said 49 crews are at work in the Valley, replacing broken poles and reconnecting damaged lines. Ten crews en route from other parts of the province, and nine from Maine, will arrive today.

Cellphone coverage is back to normal in all parts of the province, and telephone land lines have been restored, with the possible exception of some isolated properties.

While comfort stations are closed in most communities, they remain on stand-by for Nova Scotians who need assistance. Help is also available from the Canadian Red Cross at 1-800-222-9597.

Several Nova Scotia provincial camping and day-use parks remain closed because of storm damage. Current information is available at www.novascotiaparks.ca/ .