Charlotte County is bracing for some strong weather coming through the region on Wednesday night.
Environment Canada has issued both a rainfall and wind warning for Grand Manan and coastal Charlotte County. The organization is forecasting between 25 to 40 millimetres of rain.
“An intense low-pressure system will track west of New Brunswick Wednesday night and Thursday morning,” the warning said. “This system will give periods of rain, at times heavy. Strong southerly winds gusting to 80 kilometres per hour will accompany this system, with gusts up to 90 km/h over the Fundy Coast.”
Heavy downpours can create flash flooding, the organization warns, with water pooling on the roads.
“Loose objects may be tossed by the wind and cause injury or damage. High winds may result in power outages and fallen tree branches,” the warning said.
The region has faced significant issues with power reliability during major winter rain storms. Last year, residential customers in Charlotte County spent several days without power through Christmas Day.
Eastern Charlotte Mayor John Craig is also warning people on Facebook.
“Be ready for this weather event coming into our area on Wednesday through to Thursday,” he wrote. “It has the potential to do damage and have long power interruptions. Southwest New Brunswick (our area) is expected to be mostly affected.”
In his post, he said dedicated power crews are en route to Campobello, Deer Island, and Grand Manan.
“NB Power has crews for our area ready to be mobilized,” he wrote in the post.
NB Power said in an email statement it is actively monitoring the track of the incoming weather system. It said it “could experience outages across the province due to rain and high winds.”
“Our incident command team is fully activated, and today we strategically positioning NB Power and contractor crews across the province,” said NB Power spokesperson Dominique Couture. “We are checking our equipment, trucks, and ensuring our employees and contractors are fully prepared to respond.”
Couture said safety is at the heart of everything the utility does. High winds and rains can create challenges in restoring power causing more risk to linesman working to restore electricity, which the utility has noted in the past.
“We are committed to responding safely and efficiently to any impacts we may face in the coming days. Our crews are highly trained to handle events such as these.”
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