
'I don't know what I'm going to do': Nova Scotians still struggling with power outages 11 days after Fiona
CBC
Ten days after post-tropical storm Fiona blew through Nova Scotia, there are still thousands of Nova Scotia Power customers waiting for electricity and some who have no idea when it will come back on.
"They don't know. They said it would be on last Wednesday at 11 p.m.," said Fred MacDonald, a resident of Little Harbour in Pictou County.
MacDonald said he and his neighbours agree Fiona was the worst storm in "at least 100 years." He has a lot of trees around his property and estimated 75 to 80 fell down.
"I live on the water and there would only be one or two trees down, but never to the magnitude of this," he said.
A couple of fallen trees blocked his car, but he said neighbours were able to help get it free.
"I don't know what I'm going to do," MacDonald said. "I'm going to have to get a contractor in. It can't just be two guys and a chain saw. It's devastating."
MacDonald said he had to throw away everything in his fridge. He said he's glad he had a rain barrel to collect water so he could keep his toilet flushing.
"That's the only way to use the bathroom — takes two buckets at a time to flush."
MacDonald said his portable radio helped, but that the batteries recently died. He said not having power is isolating.
"It's just the solitude," he said.
Don Wadden, the retired fire chief of the Little Harbour Fire Department, is volunteering at the station to help people get through the extended power outage. Residents were able to stop in and get something to eat and drink.
"They're coping quite well, I think, for all the damage that's been done in the lack of power," Wadden said.
Wadden said they're feeding 60 to 65 people a day, plus he said some people are stopping by throughout the day for water.
"It is what it is, there's nothing we can do about the weather," Wadden said.