Although the municipality was affected by post-Tropical Storm Fiona, officials are relieved that it was not as bad as their neighbours.
During last night’s regular monthly meeting of Richmond Municipal Council in Arichat, Warden
Amanda Mombourquette said many people were still without power, and internet service was still “sketchy” in some spots.
The warden noted she received regular updates from Richmond County’s Emergency Management Coordinator Steve Marcellus, CAO Troy MacCulloch, and Nova Scotia Power. And the municipality was ready to open 22 comfort centres across Richmond County, she added.
Mombourquette said winds in the municipality reached about 140 km/h at the peak of the storm, with winds above warning levels for 14 hours.
With about 65,000 NSP customers without power on the weekend, Mombourquette said 40 per cent of the customers in Cape Breton had power restored by Monday, helped by more than 300 NSP personnel on the ground in Cape Breton.
Flooding washed out a section of road in St. George’s Channel and closed out a section of Chapel Cove Road in Lower L’Ardoise, the warden said.
District 2 Councillor Michael Diggdon mentioned that a section of Morrison Road to Oban was washed out, requiring motorists to take alternate roads. Although there are no residents living on Pace Point Road, he said it remains closed by the Department of Public Works.
With the province announcing Disaster Financial Assistance, MacCulloch confirmed that information was available on the municipal web site.