Residents in Fogo Island, Change Islands, and various parts of central Newfoundland are still facing power outages on Tuesday evening after being hit by hurricane-force winds earlier in the day. Some areas have been without electricity and heating for almost 20 hours.
By 7:45 p.m. NT on Tuesday, close to 4,000 customers of Newfoundland Power were affected by the severe weather conditions, while an additional 1,900 customers experienced power outages reported by Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro.
Roland Wells, a resident of Fogo Island, has been without power since 11:30 p.m. on Monday. He mentioned that the winds in the region exceeded 150 km/h on Tuesday morning. Despite expecting improvements in the morning, the power outage continued into the evening.
Initially, the restoration of power for Fogo Island and Change Island communities was anticipated by 5 p.m., but due to multiple issues faced by the crews, Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro provided an updated estimate of 10 p.m. for the power restoration.
Wells expressed disappointment in the system’s resilience, considering the extensive work done. He highlighted the challenges of dealing with power loss and poor cellular connectivity, especially concerning the safety of elderly family members in case of emergencies.
In St. Brendan’s, an isolated island community, Mayor Bill Broderick estimated that approximately 20 homes would be without power on Tuesday night, with around 60 customers affected due to crew inaccessibility. A plan has been set for crews to reach the community on Wednesday morning.
Twillingate Mayor Deborah Bourden echoed similar sentiments, emphasizing the recurring power outages and the impact on the town’s communication infrastructure, particularly during severe weather events.
The ongoing challenges faced by these communities underscore the critical need for reliable power supply and communication systems in remote areas during extreme weather conditions.