The Town of Bridgewater, Nova Scotia, is advising residents to prepare for potential power outages and dangerous road conditions due to a freezing rain forecast for Lunenburg County. Local officials are monitoring the weather as ice builds up across the region, which can cause significant damage to trees and electricity lines.
Ice from freezing rain is heavy and can add up to 500 pounds of weight to a section of power lines or make a tree branch 30 times heavier than usual. To prepare for possible damage, Nova Scotia Power typically activates its emergency response centre and pre-positions repair crews and tree-trimming teams in the region to respond to outages during significant ice events.
According to the town’s winter service standards, cleaning ice and snow from roads and sidewalks can take 48 hours or more after a major storm ends. Residents can find real-time updates on road clearing and power outages through the municipal Storm Centre website.
The Lunenburg County Regional Emergency Management Organization is asking neighbours to check their emergency kits. These kits should have enough food, water, and essential supplies to support a household for at least 72 hours if the electricity goes out.
