Outages could last into Friday, N.B. Power warns after province battered by winds
Wind clocked at 109 km/h at Fredericton airport
More than 50,000 N.B. Power customers woke up in the dark on Thursday morning after a rain and wind storm blew through the province.
That number has since dropped to about 35,000.
The outages are widespread, but the majority that remain are in the central and southern parts of the province.
High winds are the primary cause of the outages, Dominique Couture, a spokesperson for N.B. Power, said.
In an email, she said that 550 fields resources were available to respond to the outages, including N.B. Power and contractor power line technicians, vegetation management personnel and support staff. Crews are in every district restoring power where it is safe.
A
file photo shows N.B. Power restoration efforts. N.B. Power says crews
were stationed in every district to respond to the outages. (Ed Hunter/CBC)
Couture reminded residents to stay 33 feet (15 metres) away, or the length of a bus, from downed power lines, call 911, and report the downed line to N.B. Power.
Winds clocked at over 100 km/h
On Thursday, Environment Canada reported a peak wind speed of 109 km/h at the Fredericton Airport. Close behind, the Saint John Airport clocked a wind speed of 92 km/h.
And along with high winds, the December storm was accompanied by unusually warm weather and heavy rain that obliterated the towering snow banks in some areas.
St. Stephen, Fredericton, Miramichi and Kouchibouguac all recorded temperatures of 15 C or higher on Thursday, according to Environment Canada. Those temperatures have since plummeted but still sit above freezing.
Going into the weekend, Environment Canada forecasts that temperatures will slip back below freezing.
School closures
Some schools stayed closed because of power outages and loose debris on roads.
All Zone 7 schools in Anglophone West are closed, which includes Oromocto, Geary, Burton, Lincoln and Fredericton Junction.
Nashwaaksis Memorial and Middle schools, Central New Brunswick Academy, Gagetown School, Andover Elementary School, Perth-Andover Middle School, Canterbury High School and Southern Victoria High School are also closed.
In Anglophone South, power outages have closed Apohaqui Elementary School, Sussex Elementary School, Westfield Elementary School and Fundy Shores School.
In Anglophone East, Petitcodiac Regional and Riverside Consolidated schools are closed.
In Francophone South, École Clément-Cormier, École Dr-Marguerite-Michaud, École Arc-en-ciel, École Soleil Levant, École Calixte-F.-Savoie and École Mgr-Marcel-François-Richard are all closed.
In Francophone Northwest, École Marie-Gaétane, École Mgr-Martin and Polyvalente A.-J.-Savoie are closed.
In Anglophone North, Bonar Law Memorial School, Eleanor W. Graham Middle School, Harcourt School and Rexton Elementary School will remain closed, after the district originally delayed opening by two hours.
Sussex Christian School is also closed.
David Amos
My poor old computer did not deal with the power outages very well.
Reply to David Amos
That is tragic.
Don Corey
Reply to David Amos
We came out of it pretty good up north.
David Amos
Reply to William Conway
Surely you jest
Passed several of those contractor power trucks that were enroute to outages. They all seem to drive at the same speed - 85-90KPH - no real urgency to get there, when you're getting paid $$$/Hr by the taxpayers.
David Amos
Reply to Derek Grant
Consider the fuel they saving
David Amos
Reply to David Amos
When my power goes out I have a diesel heater and a gas generator to keep me from freezing to death in the dark while I cook my supper on a propane stove and count my blessings. However what irks me is all the road taxes I must pay in order to run things that never see the road.
Don Corey
This is a poorly written story, to put it mildly. I thought the update of a few minutes ago might have improved it a bit and corrected the 33 feet/15 m thing, but to no avail.
Regardless, despite a few usual negative comments, NB Power (in my opinion) does a reasonably good job in keeping up with all the "risk trees" near their powerlines.
The only approach that would be 100% effective would be to cut down every tree within 80 feet (24.4 metres) of their lines, and that would include trees on private property (no exceptions). I expect such an approach would result in one big uproar and we'd quickly be back to the status quo.
Forget the underground cables; it won't happen.
Once that 20 year federal plan with all the wind power is in place, at least there should be something good to come out of these wind events.
David Amos
Reply to Don Corey
Another tree came down on my private property last night and Bo got caught in it but that was my job to have cleaned up. However NB Power failed us bigtime last year
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/wild-fire-kars-belleisle-1.6863445
"Sherwood said the fire started on Valley Road when a tree rubbed on the power lines because of the strong winds and resulted in "arcing" to the ground.
"By the time we headed out with the trucks, it was obvious that we had something big going on," said Sherwood.
Valley Road is located over the hill from Belleisle Bay, upriver from the ferry on the Kars side. Heavy winds pushed the smoke over the hill and across the bay to the southeast."
Les Cooper
All the anti fossil fuel people should be happy about having no power.
Mj Aubie
Reply to Les Cooper
Yeah well it certainly doesn’t help that the wind turbines need to be shutdown every time the wind blows too strongly
Don Corey
Reply to Les Cooper
Probably not. They hate all those generators going full blast.
David Amos
Reply to Don Corey
My generator is very quiet
Le Wier
The 10% rebate to the power bill starting Jan 1 by Premier Holt will compensate for the inconvenience the power outages cause.
James Wolf
Reply to Le Wier
Not sure how you see that?
Don Corey
Reply to Le Wier
You have to be joking.
Le Wier
Reply to James Wolf
It was meant to be a joke about compensation
Le Wier
Reply to Don Corey
I am. It was a terrible windstorm, and such a long wait for so many customers. At least it didn’t happen on Christmas, and it was mild. Trying to be positive.
Don Corey
Reply to Le Wier
That's what I figured/totally agree with you.
Le Wier
Reply to Don Corey
I am curious about with customers out of power for longer than 24 hours, and being on the smart meters will their bill be lower as they were consuming zero power for that time period.
Eugene Peabody
Reply to Le Wier
It will but it most people will never notice it . I track mine and right now with using a mini split for a heat source it costs me between 8 and 9 dollars a day for my 1100 sq. ft. house .
Le Wier
Reply to Eugene Peabody
Do you think NB power will add an additional charge to the bills for reconnecting after a storm? I thought the incentive to go with the smart meter was to only pay for what power was used. I doubt NB Power will be out that money.
David Amos
Reply to Le Wier
Dream on
Eugene Peabody
Reply to Le Wier
There is no reconnect charge after a storm . There was a big change over to the new meters starting this year and should be done by next year . The only incentive was to get your meter for free now of if you did not and require a meter in the future for whatever reason it will cost you a lot. The meters will allow you to track what power you use manually by sight or in the future by a app on the phone if they ever get it set up. I am able to go out on my deck and look at mine every day at the same time to check what I use.
Le Wier
Reply to Eugene Peabody
I should have wrote power has been restored rather than reconnected, although if a power needs to be reconnected to your building/property if your power mast has been broken or a power pole is broken. I thought the incentive for installing a smart meter was to know and monitor your power usage/consumption. I was curious how NB Power plans to add on the cost for the power restoration after bad weather events/storms. I know if a tree falls and takes out the mast on your building the customer has to pay for the power to be reconnected.
Le Wier
Reply to David Amos
How so?
David Amos
Reply to Le Wier
Smart meters are a sick joke
Le Wier
Reply to David Amos
Ok
David Amos
Notice anyone?
MR Cain
Reply to Le Wier
We do pay for what we use, so logically it is reflected in the bill; less than $5 a day on average.
MR Cain
Reply to Le Wier
reading the meter was always pretty simple. NB Power has the full story on their site.
Le Wier
Reply to David Amos
Is that you in the 3rd photo?
David Amos
Reply to Le Wier
Yup
Bill Smith
Maybe it’s time to bury the cable underground. Can’t believe in 2024 NB can’t adapt to this
Vel Oakes
Reply to Bill Smith
Many in NS say the same thing. The problem, as I understand it, is that our provinces have a lot of rock and burying all the existing power lines underground would be a massive, and *VERY* expensive undertaking. And we all know, any costs our power companies incur end up increasing the rates we pay.
Gerry Ford
Reply to Bill Smith
Nobody wants to learn shovel skills.
Bill Smith
Reply to Bill Smith
Yes, it’s costly but what’s the cost yearly for maintaining overhead lines? There is equipment that will drill thru ROCK and not have to dig a huge trench for a small cable to be buried. Governments can’t continue to do the same things over and over and hope to for a different overcome. Get with the times!
Bill Smith
Reply to Vel Oakes
Yes it’s costly but what’s the true cost yearly for over head lines
David Amos
Reply to Bill Smith
Perhaps the money would be better spent assisting folks to get off the grid
Gerry Ford
It's a constant, another bit of a storm and then no power again. NB power is out again with more bits of skinny wire, some zip ties and a few rolls of black tape.
Until the next time, stay warm......
Denis Reagan
Reply to Gerry Ford
No duct tape? No duct tape? Hello!
Gerry Ford
Reply to Denis Reagan
Yes but, that's only for fixing their work gear.
Le Wier
Reply to Gerry Ford
Might be time to upgrade to the alien tape 😂
David Amos
Reply to Le Wier
Google david amos wiretap
Andy Davis
Working on a contract in Chipman installing equipment in the mill.
Man that wind kept me awake a good part of the night.
Surprised that we didn’t lose Power
David Amos
Reply to Andy Davis
Doesn't the mill make power?
Corrie Weatherfield
" . . . with mat like that . . . " no wonder the education department tests show poor spelling performance . . . ??
Albalita Star
Reply to Corrie Weatherfield
And yet I'll wager even you knew what the word was....
Denis Reagan
Reply to Corrie Weatherfield
Oh golly gosh! I looked so hard for "...with mat like that..." but couldn't find it. Maybe I'll try again, or simply be satisfied with reading and understanding all of the article.
David Amos
Reply to Denis Reagan
Good luck with that
Albalita Star
33 Feet (15meters).....with mat like that no wonder NB has power issues...
Denis Reagan
Reply to Albalita Star
49.21 Feet (15meters)....mat and I thought we would correct things (like anyone cares?).
Albalita Star
Reply to Denis Reagan
Well I guess if you are 33 feet from a live line and it electrocutes you when you should have been 50 feet ...then you might care....
David Amos
Content Deactivated
Reply to Albalita Star
The awful truth is nobody cares
David Amos
Reply to Denis Reagan
Bingo
Jimmy Cochrane
As long as NB power continues to only clear what's UNDER their lines nothing will change.
Fred Dee
Reply to Jimmy Cochrane
Have to increase rates to clear more! Sadly, we need to do so!!!
Fred Dee
Reply to Fred Dee
costs much less to clear before the damage occurs!!
Alison Jackson
Reply to Jimmy Cochrane
They are not oblidged to clear crap from peoples property, you persist thinking they are the groundskeepers for tall trees trees 80-100 feet away from power lines.
Ronald Miller
Reply to Jimmy Cochrane
No worries. Irving is clearing everything else.
David Amos
Reply to Ronald Miller
Sad but true
Denis van humbeck
Living near the oceans.
Allan Marven
Reply to Denis van humbeck
15,000 without power in Central NB.
David Amos
Reply to Denis van humbeck
So???
Allan Marven
St Stephen is probably lamenting the removal of the Milltown Hydro-Electric plant.
David Amos
Reply to Allan Marven
I doubt it
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