As Hurricane Fiona barrels toward Atlantic Canada with landfall expected later this week, officials across the province are preparing for the storm and urging residents to do the same.
Representatives from the provincial Emergency Management Office, Nova Scotia Power, Cape Breton Regional Municipality and the Canadian Red Cross held a news conference about preparations Wednesday.
The storm is expected to bring strong winds, heavy rain and storm surges, and could result in power outages, flooding and serious damage.
The Emergency Management Office is asking people to prepare for Fiona by:
- Having enough food and water to last 72 hours.
- Securing any objects that can be blown around by wind.
- Moving watercraft to high ground.
- Filling vehicles with gas and parking them away from trees.
- Keeping pets indoors.
- Checking radio batteries and flashlights.
- Checking in on neighbours.
Telecom preparing
After Hurricane Dorian, many people went without cellphone and internet service for days after the storm knocked out power to cellphone towers, and the backup batteries for wireless sites eventually drained.
The situation prompted then premier Stephen McNeil to say telecommunications companies should join the province’s emergency operations team during major storms to ensure services disruptions are minimized.
In a statement to CBC News, Bell said the company is already in contact with the province, EMO and Nova Scotia Power and will work closely with them to keep customers connected.
During power outages, if backup batteries run out, Bell activates generators to keep sites up and running.
The company says it has already activated its internal emergency response process and crews are fuelling generators and checking up on sites.
