The Tropical Storm Lee left an indelible mark throughout the southern shoreline of Nova Scotia. The effects are all too visible, with numerous trees having tumbled down, power lines overthrown, and properties laid to waste, leaving the area strewn with leaf debris and dislodged roof shingles.
Having borne the brunt of the strongest storm in half a century, the District of Lunenburg’s mayor, Carolyn Bolivar-Getson, opines that Lee’s wrath far exceeded that of Juan. The storm not only wreaked havoc on their shoreline but also severely compromised their infrastructure and some of the major provinces along the shorelines, including Green Bay, Crescent Beach, and Bear Trap Road among others.
By late Monday afternoon, an unsettling reality was that a large number of the south shore inhabitants remained without power. While power crews rolled up their sleeves in Chester, N.S., the lack of electricity had truly begun to disrupt the residents’ normal lives. Bolivar-Getson lamented that people were gradually losing their usual supplies and the comfort of their homes.
Reassuringly, Nova Scotia Power’s spokesperson, Matt Drover drew attention to the utility’s advanced preparation for Lee’s aftermath and assured their absolute commitment to restoring power at the earliest. He said, “To ensure a speedy restoration of power post the storm, we deployed crews in advance. We brought in crews from our neighboring provinces a week in advance to be ready and stationed across the province as soon as the storm passed.”
While the power crews were working around the clock, some like Chester resident Bill Quiat, had to face the aftermath head-on. His daily errands were disrupted as downed trees and power lines had caused the post office to close for the day. Quiat expressed regret over the loss of the heritage tree.
But lastly, a glimmer of hope for those still bearing with the power outage: Mayor Carolyn Bolivar-Getson announced that comfort centres have been established in fire halls, churches, and community centres until everyone’s power has been restored.