Trees gently move with the wind in Halifax during a storm, as captured by Sean Mott for CTV News Atlantic.
For the third consecutive Monday, a storm system swept through the Maritimes, bringing with it high winds and heavy rain that affected much of the region on Monday afternoon, with expectations for more adverse weather overnight. Warnings were issued by Environment Canada for all three Maritime provinces in response to the challenging weather conditions.
Responding to the potential impact, Nova Scotia Power announced the activation of its emergency operations center on Monday. The aim is to facilitate a swift response to any possible outages resulting from the storm. Matt Drover, the storm lead for Nova Scotia Power, indicated that while there might be a prolonged period of winds surpassing 80 kilometers an hour, restoration efforts would commence as soon as conditions became safe.
As of 9 p.m., Nova Scotia Power reported 470 outages affecting 31,333 customers in the province. Similarly, the NB Power outage map documented 79,376 customers experiencing unplanned outages, primarily in the western part of the province. In Prince Edward Island, Maritime Electric reported 2,292 customers without power.
The storm had repercussions beyond power outages. The Confederation Bridge implemented restrictions on certain vehicles, including buses, vehicles towing trailers, motorcycles, high-side vehicles like trucks, tractor-trailers, and recreational vehicles. These restrictions were lifted once the high winds subsided on Monday morning.
Bay Ferries took precautionary measures, canceling ferry crossings from Digby, N.S., to Saint John, N.B., at 4 p.m. on Monday and from Saint John to Digby at 8 a.m. on Tuesday, citing adverse weather forecasts. Crossings scheduled for Tuesday at 11 a.m. from Digby and 2:15 p.m. from Saint John also faced potential disruptions.
Meanwhile, trucks experienced delays at the Newfoundland Ferry terminal in North Sydney, N.S., on Monday afternoon. Darrell Mercer, representing Marine Atlantic, noted the likelihood of cancellations throughout the day and possibly into Wednesday. He highlighted the implications for commercial goods shipments to the province, particularly for grocery stores and Christmas gifts. The disruptions may impact individuals traveling to be with their families for the holiday season, creating a potential backlog.
Despite the uncertainty of long-range forecasts indicating a potential system later in the week, Mercer emphasized the volatility of weather conditions and how quickly they can change, urging travelers and businesses to stay informed and be prepared for possible disruptions on Thursday into Friday.
