Schools, businesses closed in Nova Scotia as power outages persist after Fiona

Approximately 197,000 customers without power as of Monday morning

Anam Khan · CBC News · 

Workers assess downed power poles caused by post-tropical storm Fiona in Dartmouth, N.S., on Sunday. (Darren Calabrese/The Canadian Press)

Power outages are still affecting thousands of people across Nova Scotia in the wake of post-tropical storm Fiona.

As of 7 a.m. Monday, there were about 7,000 power outages in the province affecting approximately 197,000 Nova Scotia Power customers.

Cape Breton Island and Pictou County were particularly hit hard after Hurricane Fiona hit the province on Saturday leaving a significant number of Nova Scotia Power customers without power by Sunday morning.

• Nova Scotians take stock in aftermath of Fiona

Nova Scotia Power said crews have been working through the night to restore lines. The company tweeted that roads need to be cleared of fallen trees before crews can work on restoring power.

It also said power restoration is done in a specific order, starting with main lines that bring electricity from power plants into cities and towns.

Customers can view an estimated time of power restoration online.

Schools, government offices closed

Classes are cancelled at many public schools across the province due to power outages, and road conditions.

• Public school cancelled Monday for HRM, Cape Breton and northeast N.S.

Most provincial government offices will be closed to allow crews to clean up after the hurricane.

Nova Scotia Power tweeted that downed lines should be treated as energized and customers should not attempt to handle them.

It’s also asking people to keep a safe distance from a working scene and stay off the road unless necessary so restoration efforts are not further delayed.

Warming centres open

Comfort centres offering meals, charging stations and washrooms have been set up by municipalities across the region.