PEI is getting help from the Canadian Armed Forces in the Post Tropical Storm Fiona cleanup. On Sunday, during his briefing regarding Post Tropical Storm Fiona cleanup and recovery efforts, Premier Dennis King said that 100 military personnel would be arriving Sunday night to provide assistance after the request had been made on Saturday. The military personnel is to be on the ground Monday morning providing assistance to provincial crews. While there’s still much assessment to be done, King also said that road infrastructure appears to have weathered the storm better than initially thought, but that there are “considerable pockets” of severe damage, especially areas affected by the coastal surges. He says that six roads are completely closed, and several bridges are impassable.
Maritime Electric says there are currently 80,800 customers without power in Prince Edward Island, as the crews continue with the important assessment stage, which may take another 24 hours or so. A helicopter was up in the air Sunday, patrolling all day to look at the system infrastructure for the main transmission line and see if there’s any major damage. Crews were also deployed Sunday to try to get access to all of the sub stations and transmission line areas to assess the damage. On Sunday morning, Maritime Electric’s Kim Griffin had told Ocean 100/Hot 105.5 that this 24 to 48 hour period (which we’re now 24 hours into) during daylight hours was the best opportunity for them to understand the full damage, assess it and prioritize the work that needs to be done. They have more crews than they’ve ever had to be able to do that work, more than they had during Dorian. When asked about realistic power restoration timelines, Griffin said Sunday morning that people need to try to prepare to be somewhere safe over the next couple of days until the assessment is completed, and then every day they’ll be updating an assessment of restoration.
All Provincial Civil Service Offices across the province will be closed Monday and Tuesday. After some further assessment there will be another announcement on Tuesday. During this time, employees who have been asked by their supervisor to perform necessary services are expected to carry out their work as assigned and all other staff are asked to be prepared to be called upon to reasonably assist with post Hurricane Fiona restoration and support measures.
Schools across PEI in both the Public Schools Branch and French Language School Board will be closed Monday and Tuesday. A further decision on school closures is expected on Tuesday. École Evangeline will be closed for the entire week and reevaluated before opening. Certain childcare facilities may be operating. You should contact your childcare provider for the latest information.
UPEI will remain closed Monday. All Holland College locations will remain closed Monday and all classes, labs and on-campus events are cancelled.
While some healthcare facilities continue to operate on generator power, Health PEI has confirmed that both the Queen Elizabeth Hospital and Prince County Hospital both have had power restored. Certain facilities and appointments may be further impacted, so it’s suggested that you call ahead and check Health PEI for the latest information.
To allow additional time for highway crews to clear roads for safe traveling for customers and crew, Northumberland Ferries has cancelled all crossings for Monday.