Comfort Centres Helped in Massive Power Outage
Most of Nova Scotia went without power at some point yesterday. As if the weighted snow and extreme winds were not enough, the main transmission cables failed in Memramcook, New Brunswick and Port Hawkesbury, plunging a quarter of a million Nova Scotia customers into cold and darkness.
Municipal emergency officials responded by opening temporary comfort centres, including four in Cumberland at Westchester, Wentworth, Parrsboro, and Amherst.
The Westchester facility closed almost as quickly as it opened, with the early return of power.
The Wentworth comfort centre stayed open till early evening.
Parrsboro and centres in other parts of the province were closed as those communities came back on-line. However, the centres in Amherst remained open through the night at the fire hall and First Baptist Church. Another centre opened early this morning in River Hebert.