Hurricane Lee is hurdling towards our province.
Lee will move into western Nova Scotia and southern New Brunswick tomorrow with heavy rain, high winds and large waves.
Environment Canada says it will weaken quickly Saturday night, and there will be lingering conditions on Sunday.
The Tri-Counties, along with Queens, Lunenburg and Halifax counties are under a Hurricane Watch.
Tropical Storm Warnings are in effect for most of mainland Nova Scotia.
The wind will likely be the worst in the western part of the province, gusts could be up to 120 kilometres an hour.
Forecasters say Lee will be a wide storm, effects could be felt up to 300 kilometres away.
Heavy rain hit the Valley yesterday and caused some flooding, Lee could cause more widespread floods.
20 foot waves are possible for the Atlantic coast of Nova Scotia tomorrow, a storm surge warning may be required.
The province listed several places that will be shelters for those experiencing homelessness.
Nova Scotia Power activates emergency operations centre
As of 12:00p.m. today, the centre is operational and will remain open throughout the weekend until all potential outages have been restored.
Senior director of energy delivery, Matt drover, says that with the high winds Lee is bringing with it, it’s all but guaranteed that some Nova Scotians will lose power this weekend. He says it’s up to NS Power to be ready to respond and restore it as soon as possible.
“We have over 600 people in the field which is made up of powerline technicians, forestry workers and damage assessors to be on the ground as soon as those winds hit and ready to restore power as quickly and safely as possible,” said Drover.
Click here to learn more about how Nova scotia power is preparing for the storm.
We've been keeping a close eye on the weather and are using that information to station our crews and contractors ahead of the storm. As our teams get prepared, we encourage you to get prepared too. It's always a good idea to have an emergency kit with flashlight handy, as well… pic.twitter.com/cWIsa4v5LR
— Nova Scotia Power (@nspowerinc) September 14, 2023
Heavy rainfall is expected in parts of the province with #HurricaneLee and may result in flooding. Are your home and property prepared? #NSStorm https://t.co/82XGNXRaDP pic.twitter.com/gr0Tq7UKS8
— Nova Scotia EMO (@nsemo) September 14, 2023
Fishers preparing for impact
Fishers are securing gear ahead of Lee.
Captains are tying extra lines to their boats in Southwestern Nova Scotia.
Dan Fleck with the Brazil Rock 33/34 Lobster Association tells us some vessels have been moved to more secure or sheltered locations.
He says it’s going to be a long and tiring weekend for captains to secure their homes, and also monitor the wharves.
In a social media post, the Coldwater Lobster Association says if you’re on the wharf and notice a boat that needs assistance, to please contact them.
With files from Joe Thomson.
