N. B. Power says it was prepared for storm that saw 129,000 customers lose power

Around 21,000 N.B. Power customers were still without electricity on Thursday afternoon, four days after a powerful rain and wind storm hit the province.

At a news conference, N.B Power vice-president of operations Nicole Poirier said the utility is still aiming to have everyone's power restored before Christmas, now only four days away.

When asked if N.B. Power was well-enough prepared, Poirier didn't hesitate to answer. 

"Yes, I do think we were prepared," she said.

"We watch the weather a couple days in advance, we have a number of weather forecasters ... we actually have a predictor that has AI that actually helps us predict storms."

Many of the remaining outages have Saturday listed on the utility's website as an expected restoration time.

Crews are on hand from Hydro-Québec, Maine, Saint John Energy, and Edmundston Energy to speed up fixing remaining outages.

Poirier said N.B. Power makes predictions on how many crews it will need in advance, but when asked if additional crews now on scene should have been called in earlier, she said no.

"We were prepared with what we felt we needed in order to respond," Poirier said. "Once the storm hit, we obviously saw winds like we haven't seen, damage that we were not predicting based on what we saw last week.

"As soon as we understood the extent of our damage, we'd be reaching out to other partners."

She said other jurisdictions now helping restore power in New Brunswick were busy with damage in their own locations at the start of the storm.

Monday's storm brought ferocious winds, with a top speed of 100 km/h clocked at the Fredericton Airport, according to Environment Canada. Poirier said the majority of outages to be fixed are in the Fredericton, Woodstock, and Charlotte County areas.

Poirier also said the coming introduction of smart meters will help N.B. Power better know when outages happen instead of relying so heavily on reports from customers and crews in the field.

Residents can submit damage reports 

Public Safety Minister Kris Austin said people can now submit damage claims to the province so officials have a better sense of overall damage.

"It's important that people register their storm damage so that we can have an accurate picture before any decisions on disaster financial assistance can be made."

Austin said there is a threshold of $3 million of uninsurable damages across the province before disaster financial assistance can kick in, so it's important people register damage that is not covered by their insurance. 

He said New Brunswickers should check with insurance companies now to see what is covered before making their claim to the province. Uninsurable damage can be reported to the province at 1-888-298-8555 or gnb.ca/storm.

The form is for individuals, tenants, small businesses, and not-for-profits. 

Austin said people can also contact the Red Cross to register food loss they sustained during the power outage.

"We knew, when the storm hit, that this would be pretty significant," Austin said. 

He said the outage count is similar to post-tropical storm Arthur, but the data gathered from the public's damage reports to the province will help give a better comparison to other recent storms.

"This isn't our first storm, and certainly won't be our last," Austin said.

N.B. Power disagrees tree-trimming budget was cut

Poirier also addressed the question of whether N.B. Power did enough preventative instead of reactive measures before the storm came, including managing vegetation growth on and around its power line network.

"I can say that damage reports would say that this event is largely a tree event," Poirier said, adding that vegetation management is a priority for N.B. Power.

"But as we all know, we have a lot of trees in New Brunswick."

She said the utility has spent over $120 million over the past nine years on vegetation management to clear dangerous branches and trees that threaten power lines.

However, N.B. Power has actually reduced its budget for vegetation management during the last six years.

Poirier would not say the utility has "reduced" its budget, but added there will be "more dollars" for vegetation management next year. She said the budget shouldn't be looked at from an individual-year perspective.

"It's difficult to just look at one year, it's an entire program."

Poirier said vegetation management looks at widening right of ways, dangerous trees, mulching, and other aspects. She said budgets have become more efficient because of better technology such as lidar, satellite imagery, and comparing practices with other utilities.

When asked by CBC News if N.B. Power had learned any lessons from this storm in terms of vegetation management, Poirier said the utility learns lessons from every storm.

She added that N.B. Power works with other utility partners to learn how vegetation management is done elsewhere and if efficiencies can be found.

'Optimal' conditions for repairs

David Brown, the president of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 37, said something atypical about this storm is that it uprooted a number of large, white pine trees, which he said are typically "wind firm."

When that happens, it brings the lines right to the ground, he said.

"The vast destruction and where it's spread out throughout the province is unbelievable," said Brown.

Luckily, Brown said, the conditions in the province have been optimal for repair work. He said extreme cold temperatures can hamper work in other ways, so at least with mild weather, the workers are comfortable.

Brown said he wants to thank the crews that have been out working the last few days "in the harshest conditions."

"They take a lot of pride in their work. And for that, I thank them, and I just encourage them to work safe and to follow the rules. And if they're tired, get the rest needed."