High winds cause havoc throughout Nova Scotia
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Meteorologists warned of high winds and heavy rain across Nova Scotia on Thursday, and Mother Nature did not disappoint.
The heavy rain began early Thursday morning, while winds picked up later in the day, cutting power out for tens of thousands across the province.
Although the sun was shining in Halifax on Friday morning, fallen trees and scattered debris could still be seen from the previous day.
The storm brought strong winds and heavy rain across the province. Our crews have worked overnight and will continue this morning to safely restore power to customers as quickly as possible.
Please check https://t.co/cKMppFqg0n for the latest updates and estimated recovery time. pic.twitter.com/1QgC7myMwD
— Nova Scotia Power (@nspowerinc) January 27, 2023
As of 2 p.m. Friday, there were also 128 outages across the province, affecting more than 1,800 Nova Scotia Power customers. At the height of Thursday night’s outage, more than 20,000 customers were without power.
Nearly 44 millimeters of rain fell at Halifax Stanfield International Airport on Thursday, while other parts of the province saw less rainfall. Yarmouth recorded 34mm of rain, Kentville 32mm, Sydney 31mm and Truro 24.5mm.
Part of the roadside on Canaan Avenue had been washed away during Thursday’s heavy downpours.
A portion of the sidewalk on Canaan Avenue in Kentville was washed away Thursday, January 26, 2023 during torrential rains in mainland Nova Scotia. – Ian Fairclough
But it was the wind that seemed to be causing more havoc throughout the Halifax Regional Municipality.
On Thursday afternoon, Halifax firefighters were called to a construction site where it was reported that a worker was trapped under construction material, mostly rebar, on an upper floor of a building.
Deputy Chief Dave Meldrum said when firefighters arrived at the Quinpool Road site, near the Willow Tree Stock Exchange, they found staff had already extricated the trapped person. The crews provided initial medical care and then handed the worker’s care over to paramedics.
“What we do know was that a structure with panels and rebar was being prepared for a concrete pour on the roof and the wind brought it down,” Meldrum said.
He said some material also fell onto the road below, which was subsequently closed to traffic.
The State Labor Office is investigating the incident.
A home under construction on Flatrock Crescent in Beechville collapsed in high winds on Thursday January 26, 2023. – Peter Jollimore
Meanwhile in Dartmouth, a driver’s path along Pleasant Street came to an abrupt halt when a large branch fell on his vehicle.
Halifax Regional Police said the driver was treated at the scene for non-life-threatening injuries.
A home under construction on Flatrock Crescent in Beechville did not survive Thursday’s strong winds.
Wind gusts of up to 98 kilometers per hour were registered at the airport.
With files by Ian Fairclough
