Hurricane Fiona blew by Queens saving its full fury for other parts of Nova Scotia.
Power is almost completely restored in Queens and clean-up is underway in the wake of Hurricane Fiona.
The South Shore managed to avoid the devastation experienced in northern parts of the province and Cape Breton.
Region of Queens Mayor Darlene Norman says municipal staff were getting ready well in advance of the storm.
“Probably about a week ahead when it looked like something was coming our way our public works department started clearing out storm drains, ditches, picking up as much debris as possible,” said Norman. “When it became very clear that Fiona was indeed going to impact Nova Scotia then equipment was put down, you know any unneeded signs, people noticed the Main Street area that detour signs those were put away. At Beach Meadows we put away our mobi mat. We prepared ourselves.”
Norman says residents also took the warnings seriously and took steps to weather Fiona.
“It was also great to see people preparing themselves. People were flipping their trampolines and they were putting away lawn furniture and they themselves were getting prepared.” Said Norman.
According to Nova Scotia Power over 50,000 customers were affected in the Western Zone of Nova Scotia, including Queens.
Most of the power failures were a result of trees either falling on or bringing down power lines.
Restoration efforts got underway Friday night and as of Monday morning only a few homes in Queens County remain in the dark.
Many people were unable to communicate following the storm as cell service across all providers was down in many areas of the province.
Life in Queens is returning to normal as schools across the South Shore reopened Monday.
Several comfort stations that were opened immediately following the storm have been closed with the exception of Queens Place which is still offering access to showers, by appointment.
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