Hon. Doug Currie, Minister of Justice and Public Safety offered thanks to the Islanders, businesses, emergency workers and service providers who took special efforts in advance of, and during, the tropical storm this past weekend.
“Preparing for the worst and hoping for the best paid off for Islanders on Saturday,” said Minister Currie. “I want to thank business and campground operators, visitors and all Islanders for taking time to secure items around their property, get emergency supplies in place and make arrangements to help others if needed. I also want to extend my appreciation to first responders, public utilities and municipalities for their preparations and response in dealing with the effects of this tropical storm and to the partner agencies who responded to the Joint Emergency Operations Centre.”
The provincial Office of Public Safety, a division of the Department of Justice and Public Safety, activated the Joint Emergency Operations Centre at noon on Friday. None of the agencies reporting to the Joint Emergency Operations Centre reported significant damage. A few incidents of minor nature were reported by transportation, who issued crews in response. Red Cross did not receive any calls for assistance; their teams remained on standby throughout the weekend. Maritime Electric advised that there were some outages and power was restored. The Office of Public Safety continued to monitor the aftermath of Tropical Storm Earl throughout Saturday evening and overnight.
“We were lucky this time, but the preparations provided a good opportunity for us all to learn a little more about emergency preparedness and raise awareness that these things can happen here in our One Island Community,” said Minister Currie. “I urge Islanders to remain aware about the reality of the dangers of these storms; be diligent and keep supplies and plans in place throughout hurricane season, which can last until the end of November.” For more information on personal and home safety in advance of, or during a hurricane, go to www.peipublicsafety.ca or look for Office of Public Safety on facebook and Twitter.