Active hurricane season expected, N.S. rolls out preparedness campaign

A busy tropical storm season is likely to cap a turbulent Nova Scotia summer that began with wildfires and deadly flash flooding.

“So far, we are up to nine named storms and one of those storms actually made it to hurricane status,” Bob Robichaud, warning preparedness meteorologist with Environment Canada, said at a news briefing Thursday, where the Nova Scotia government launched its preparedness awareness campaign.

“The average to this date is about five named storms, two hurricanes and one major hurricane,” Robichaud said, explaining that the weaker Atlantic Ocean storms have been more frequent than usual so far this year but the stronger storms have thus far been fewer than normal.

The NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association of the United States) outlook was updated in early August to project 14 to 21 named storms, six to 10 hurricanes and two to five major hurricanes for the entire season, Robichaud said.

“That points things to a busy hurricane season, an active hurricane season,” Robichaud said.

“It doesn’t necessarily mean that a lot of those storms will approach Atlantic Canada or have any kind of impact on Nova Scotia but we always have to be ready for that one or two storms that might actually impact us.”

He said Fiona was a perfect example last year, the only landfalling storm in Canada.

“That’s why we have to get prepared the same way every single year.” 

Robichaud said Franklyn was about 1,200 kilometres southwest of Bermuda early Thursday afternoon, a tropical storm moving northeasterly and expected to take a more northerly track and become a hurricane over the weekend.

The storm should enter Atlantic Canada’s response zone early next week and then take another turn toward the northeast, a turn that will be critical in determining if the storm tracks closer to the Maritimes or further offshore, he said.

Most forecast models currently keep the centre of the storm south of the Maritimes with Newfoundland a potential landfall.

“We are not necessarily looking at another Fiona-type scenario,” he said. “Any storm at this time of year is one that we have to watch very closely.”

Still recovering

John Lohr, the provincial minister responsible for the Emergency Management Office said for many Nova Scotians, “the recovery is still underway, from the extreme, dry conditions that fed the wildfires in our province in May to the heavy rainfall and severe thunderstorms that triggered the tragic flash flooding events we experienced in July and August.

The minister said this hurricane season is shaping up to be an active one.

“I want to take this opportunity to let Nova Scotians know that we are aware, we are working together and preparing for the season ahead and I would like to encourage all Nova Scotians to take some time now before a storm or a weather warning is issued in our region to do the same. 

“Before an event happens is a good time to sit down with your family and talk things over, check to see what may need to be done around your house or cottage, make a plan and prepare. Then, if at some point, a weather warning is issued for the area, you’ll be ready.”

To help Nova Scotians prepare, the government on Thursday launched a four-week radio, print and online ad awareness campaign that will offer tips, advice and information residents can use to protect themselves and their properties.

Nova Scotians should stay up to date on weather forecasts. Inpreparation for a hurricane’s strong winds and heavy rainfall that can cause power outages, storm surges, flooding and property damage, people can prepare in advance by: 
(bullet) having an emergency kit with food, water, medications, important documents and supplies to last for several days;
(bullet)  preparing property by trimming trees, securing loose items, and clearing gutters and storm drains; and 
(bullet) making a plan for their families now, before one is needed.

Peak of season

The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June to November but storm activity peaks in Nova Scotia in late August and September.
Robichaud said it’s important for people to get weather information from a trusted source, particularly the Canadian Hurricane Centre website and app. 

“Our website has all the information on any storms that may be approaching Canada,” he said.

Matt Drover, the senior director of energy delivery with Nova Scotia Power, said the utility takes storm response very seriously.

“If a storm is forecast to hit Nova Scotia, we make preparations as far in advance as we have notification, making sure that we are bringing crews in in advance, staging people throughout the province and getting ready to respond as quickly as possible,” Drover said.

The NSP emergency operation centre is opened and staffed 24 hours a day during a major storm.

“If you do see a downed wire during a storm, make sure that you notify 911 right away,” he said. “It’s important to stay away from downed wires.”

If residents experience flooding in their homes during a hurricane with water rising above electrical outlets, they should contact Nova Scotia Power right away, he said. 

Outage map

“Contact a certified electrician and stay as far away from that water buildup as possible.”

Updated information is available on the NSP outage map, he said.
Drover said NSP storm-hardens its system year round, focusing on vegetation management, including clearing trees away from the power lines.

“Last year, we spent about $25 million on vegetation management, in 2023 we’re ramping that up to be $32 million and going forward in 2024, we’re spending over $40 million on vegetation management,” Drover said. “We know that’s the single best way to reduce outages across the province.”

Drover said the utility does a storm cleanup after a storm by patrolling lines, inspecting damage that may have occurred and removing any trees that have been weakened by the storm and threaten future outages.

After Fiona, NSP removed 10,000 trees, he said.

The company does a lessons learned debrief after every major storm.

Ancel Langille, operations manager for the Canadian Red Cross of Nova Scotia said the agency provides for residents’ basic needs, which in extreme weather events are primarily shelter.

“In collaboration with municipalities and provincial officials, the Red Cross will open emergency evacuation centres in places like community centres and other accessible facilities,” Langille said.

Municipal matter

“We work with partners such as St. John Ambulance, the disaster animal response team and the Salvation Army to make sure that basic needs are met within that shelter, such as food, access to medications if you had to evacuate quickly and mental and psycho-social supports.”

The Red Cross prepositions supplies like cots, blankets and hygiene kits in strategic areas across the province.

The province’s 49 municipalities are responsible to have an emergency management plan in place and to lead the response to events in their areas. The provincial emergency management office works with municipalities to help them plan for emergencies and supports response efforts when major events happen.

Jason Mew, director of the incident management division of the Provincial Emergency Management Office, said the office contacts municipalities to make them aware that there is a hurricane that could possibly impact Nova Scotia.

“What’s really important here is reaching out to all our key partners and when we do have a requirement to activate our provincial co-ordination centre, we do bring in all those key partners to help with the overall response throughout the province,” Mew said.

Mew said residents should be aware of how the municipality will communicate with them during a storm event and should follow the municipality’s guidance.

Part of that communication is obviously the telecommunications companies, which were conspicuously absent from Thursday’s event and have been heavily criticized for lack of reliable service in recent and past storms.

Lohr said the telecommunications companies were not asked to attend.

“It’s unfortunate,” NDP Leader Claudia Chender said of the companies not being at the briefing. “They should have been here. They should have been here to directly address questions about the frankly shoddy cell service and cell coverage through much of our province to which until now we’ve heard about many times as an inconvenience but increasingly is becoming a safety issue.”