Damaged Lightning Arrestor Leaves Thousands Without Power in Western Cape Breton
A transmission outage caused by a damaged lightning arrestor left more than 5,000 customers without electricity in western Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, on Thursday. While power was restored to some areas by noon, approximately 4,000 customers remained affected with an estimated restoration time of 8 p.m. Several schools in the region delayed openings or dismissed early.
More than 5,000 customers in western Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, were left without electricity on Thursday following a series of power outages. A transmission outage that began around 5 a.m. initially impacted about 5,400 customers in the communities of Chéticamp, Margaree Forks and Little Narrows.
Nova Scotia Power crews identified a damaged lightning arrestor as the cause of the outage. By just before noon, customers in the community of Inverness had their power restored after being switched to an alternate feeder. Following this partial restoration, the number of affected customers dropped to about 4,000. The estimated time of restoration, originally set for 10:45 a.m., was later updated to 8 p.m.
The outages also disrupted school schedules across the region, with several institutions closing early or delaying their openings. The Strait Regional Centre for Education initially announced a two-hour delayed opening, which was later changed to a 10:45 a.m. dismissal. Additionally, classes were cancelled at École NDA, according to CSAP.