The Canadian Armed Forces will assist PEI with cleanup efforts as the impact of Post-Tropical Storm Fiona on the island continues to be assessed.
Premier Dennis King told a news conference Sunday afternoon that 100 military personnel would arrive on the island Sunday night to help with the province’s recovery and cleanup effort.
King also said there are at least six schools that have sustained significant damage, and the Department of Education is currently studying emergency plans. All PEI schools will be closed on Monday and Tuesday, with a further announcement to come.
You can watch the briefing here or on the CBC PEI Facebook page.
Charlottetown police are asking residents to stay off the roads and shelter in place a full day after Post-Tropical Storm Fiona lashed PEI, leaving the vast majority of island residents still without power or hot sunday morning
Fiona hit PEI early Saturday morning, bringing heavy rain and winds in excess of 100 mph. There were reports of general property damage, but no serious injuries to people.
Conditions across the island remained unsafe throughout the day on Saturday as the province was hit by strong winds and rain, making it difficult to assess damage, let alone begin the long task of restoring infrastructure.
Roads across the province remained blocked by downed trees and power lines Sunday morning, making travel across the province difficult and dangerous. Some roads in Charlottetown were blocked to allow crews to work unhindered.
In downtown Charlottetown, many roads remained completely blocked Sunday. (Shane Ross/CBC)
Crews are prioritizing major roads around fire stations and reception centers, according to a news release issued Sunday by the City of Charlottetown.
“Under no circumstances should residents attempt to clear trees or branches from downed power lines,” the statement said.
The City Council also asks residents not to accumulate debris on the road.
“If it is safe to do so, please place manageable sized debris in piles on the side of the road and away from sidewalks. This will help city crews with the long cleanup process ahead “, the statement said.
Cell service outages
Cell service and Internet access remained intermittent Sunday morning, making communication unreliable.
A spokesperson for Bell Aliant told CBC News that most of the company’s wireless sites in PEI were operating on battery backup or generators. Eastlink officials said downed trees, poles and lines were creating challenges for crews. And Rogers said in a statement that crews were coming from Ontario and Quebec to help.
Charlottetown Police Chief Brad MacConnell told CBC News Sunday morning that it’s still not safe for residents to venture outside except in an emergency.
“We ask people to stay at home unless absolutely necessary,” he said.
“Stay home unless you have to go somewhere, like a shelter or a place of need. Now is not the time to be curious about what’s going on in our community, now is not the time to be reckless in your actions exposing yourself to danger…and now is not the time to be selfish when it comes to these things.”
MacConnell said crews could not make a full assessment of the damage until Sunday, but there is “a lot of devastation” and there is hardly an area of the city that has not been significantly affected.
“I don’t think people fully appreciate the danger that’s in the community right now,” he said.
“It’s amazing what a day’s difference is in time, but Fiona’s challenges are still with us and we’re working through them.”
MacConnell said public works crews were working with Maritime Electric to open the roads for emergency personnel.
More than 82,000 Maritime Electric customers were still without power Sunday morning. (CBC)
Generalized cuts are maintained
As of 2 p.m., power remained out to more than 82,000 Maritime Electric customers.
Maritime Electric spokesman Kim Griffin said about 60 crews had been on the road since 6:30 a.m. Sunday assessing damage across the island, as well as a helicopter gathering information from the air
“There’s been an incredible amount of devastation,” he said.
“We certainly feel for our customers not only for being without power but for the devastation on our island.”
Griffin said it would take at least the rest of the day Sunday to assess the damage. Asked when residents should expect power to be restored, Griffin said he simply didn’t know, warning it could be up to another 48 hours.
Maritime Electric already has out-of-province crews helping and Griffin said more crews from neighboring provinces are on the way.
“I can assure you we have more teams out than ever before,” he said.
Maritime Electric also reminded residents to assume downed power lines are operational and to stay clear.
Some roads in Charlottetown were blocked Sunday to allow crews to clear downed trees from Post-Tropical Storm Fiona. (Shane Ross/CBC)
The resumption of travel and traffic is not clear
Many people left their homes Saturday to survey the damage. (Shane Ross/CBC)
Mike Cassidy, with T3 Transit, which operates in Cornwall, Charlottetown, Stratford and Summerside, said crews were at the terminal preparing vehicles Sunday morning.
“Right now our lives in Prince Edward Island have changed dramatically with Hurricane Fiona,” he said.
“Everything we do operationally has to change. Traffic can’t go out on the street when there’s no stores, no retail, no grocery stores, open… We’re ready to go at any time when we hear what is happening.”
If power is not restored in the next few days, Cassidy said, the fleet’s ability to access diesel could be compromised.
Most flights in and out of Charlottetown Airport were canceled Sunday as Charlottetown Airport General Manager Doug Newson said crews were busy assessing the damage and clearing the property.
“Overall, when you look at the infrastructure, it’s in pretty good shape. The terminal itself didn’t have any major damage other than a little bit of water and the runway infrastructure at the moment looks pretty good,” he said. to say.
“I think overall we’re very happy with how the airport has gone.”
Newson said the airport hopes to reopen as soon as possible. The status of flights scheduled to arrive and depart later Sunday was to be determined, but Newson said additional flights and larger aircraft were being added to Monday’s schedule. He advised travelers to check ahead and check with their airline for the status of their flights.
Hospitals are open but running on generator power, Health PEI CEO Michael Gardam said. MRIs and many elective surgeries have been postponed and COVID-19 testing clinics are closed.
“We’re really just on emergency measures,” he said. “We’ve scaled back everything we’re doing to really take care of the patients that are in the facility, our emergency room, that kind of thing.”
Gardam said Hillsborough hospital has some leaks but all hospitals escaped relatively unscathed. Health PEI offices also sustained damage that will require working from home for the time being.