More than 20,000 Nova Scotians are still without power as restoration efforts continue 10 days after post-tropical storm Fiona.
As of 10 a.m. Monday, there were 5,156 active outages affecting 22,170 Nova Scotia Power customers.
According to the latest map, significant outages continue to be reported in the Pictou County, Truro and Sydney areas. It’s estimated that some customers will not have their power back until 11 p.m. Wednesday.
In a tweet Monday morning, Nova Scotia Power says more than 1,500 technicians, damage assessors, forestry technicians and field support people are currently on the ground, with most crews working in the northeastern and eastern parts of the province.
In the utility’s last news release issued Sunday, it said customers in the northeast region, and some in Cape Breton, can expect to see their estimated restoration times change.
Monday marks the first day schools in the Chignecto-Central, Strait and Cape Breton-Victoria regional centres for education have reopened since Fiona.
A few schools in the province remain closed Monday due to power outages, including North Queens Community School and Greenfield Elementary on the South Shore, Bouldarderie Elementary and John Bernard Croak Victoria Cross Memorial School in Cape Breton, and North River Elementary, Frank H MacDonald Academy and Salt Springs Elementary in central Nova Scotia.
Cape Breton University has also reopened for regularly scheduled classes. The Nova Scotia Community College says all campuses and sites, including those in Truro and Sydney, will reopen Monday as well.
Most schools on P.E.I. have also reopened after a week-long closure.
Nova Scotia says most provincial government offices will reopen Monday, but local power outages could prevent a “small number” from reopening.
About 415,000 people lost power during post-tropical storm Fiona, according to Nova Scotia Power.
