Digby hit with mixed bag during storm
Wind, snow, storm surges and ice pellets
Power outages, high winds, storm surges and a mix of snow, ice pellets and rain all hit Digby County as a major winter storm entered the region on Jan. 4.
As of 1 p.m. on Jan. 4, Environment Canada ended the snowfall warning for Digby County, but the wind and rainfall warnings remained in effect.
The anticipated rain, Environment Canada warned, could be heavy at times, with the possibility of localized flooding in low-lying areas. The storm was also expected to deliver damaging winds to the region, with strong easterly gusts of up to 100 km/h in Digby County.
The weather service warned that the anticipated high winds could cause downed trees, power outages and damage caused by blowing debris.
By 1:30 p.m., Nova Scotia Power had already reported that parts of Digby County were without power. The two power outages were attributed to the high winds and affected more than 1,400 customers.
STORM SURGE
A storm surge that happened around 1 p.m. was reported in Bear River by a local resident, who also said there was some minor damage in the Trading Company Building, with water entering a walk-in cooler inside Grandmas Place Country Store.
At Digby General Hospital, storm preparations were well under way in the early-morning hours.
“Traditionally with adverse weather conditions, when we know there could be challenges, we identify a number of things that we have to address,” said Hubert d’Entremont, site manager for Digby General Hospital. “We look at staffing to see if we will have issues with staff getting to and from work, and we prepare to accommodate people onsite if they need to stay overnight – we have a few cots for that purpose.”
D’Entremont said they also in- spect the site to ensure that everything is tied down in anticipation of strong winds, that they have full gas tanks for running backup generators and that there is adequate food onsite for staff and/or visitors if the weather becomes too inclement to go home.
WINTER WEATHER
Barry Faulkner, public works foreman for the Municipality of Digby, said he was watching weather developments closely. With heavy rainfall warnings in the winter months, he said his primary concerns are power out- ages, flooding and keeping the sewer systems in the region operational.
“Unfortunately, we have to put those waste water treatment plants on the low points and that’s the area that always floods first,” Faulkner said, adding that two of the sewage treatment plants – one in Weymouth and one in Smith’s Cove – operate on a freshwater ecosystem. “When we get infiltration of salt water into those systems through the sewers it completely throws off the balance and plays havoc with the system. That’s a major concern I have for the resi- dents and for the environment.”
Faulkner recalled one winter storm in a previous year when flooding did occur, but said they got lucky because a heavy layer of ice was covering the roads and the manholes leading into the sewer system, so the salt water could not infiltrate the sewers.
Faulkner also said operation of the sewer system is dependent on the electrical system, so another concern is power outages and the increasing number of people with generators. While he said the electrical components are in place high enough not to be affected by rising flood waters, power outages are hugely impactful.
“They continue to flush and I can’t get rid of it.”
The Nova Scotia Power website had warned customers ahead of the storm that power outages might occur due to “hurricane force winds.” The utility had said, “Customers should be prepared for power outages lasting through the weekend and possibly into early next week ... We will have more than 1,000 people dedicated to storm response.”