Province continues to monitor Lee, reception centre update

As Hurricane Lee is expected to make landfall in the Atlantic Canada region this weekend, Islanders are asked to prepare for moderate to heavy rain and winds and the possibility of power outages.

Briefings with the Canadian Hurricane Centre (CHC) and Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) this morning show that Lee’s track has not changed in the past 24 hours, and for that reason PEI’s Emergency Measures Organization (EMO) will remain at Level 1 activation.

“As we prepare for some tropical weather this weekend, I ask that all Island residents plan in advance for how this weather may affect them, their loved ones and their household. We are encouraged to see that there has not been a change to Lee’s track or projected impacts from yesterday, but we should still be ready for heavy rain and winds and be sensible by staying away from coastal areas and keeping fire safety in mind.”

- Minister of Justice and Public Safety and Chair of the Major Incident Readiness Team, Bloyce Thompson

PEI EMO has been working diligently throughout the week to contact community organizations, municipalities, and other partners to assess and establish reception sites across the Island. An up-to-date list of reception centres with plans to open, along with their specific information, can be found here: PrinceEdwardIsland.ca/ReceptionCentres. This list will be updated throughout the weekend if needed.

“As Lee progresses towards the Atlantic region, we’ve been encouraged by the updates from official meteorologists showing that the storm will likely have minimal impacts and that Islanders can expect a typical fall storm this weekend.” said Director of Emergency Management Nick Policelli. “We want to reiterate the importance of preparing your household with the most up-to-date information, planning for the possibility of short-term power outages and following official experts for updates throughout the weekend.”

Current forecasts continue to indicate that the storm will bring winds ranging from 60 kilometres per hour to 80 kilometres per hour, heavy rain at times, and the possibility of storm surge in some areas. Similar weather events in the past have resulted in downed tree branches and small trees; isolated and scattered power outages; as well as elevated water levels and waves in coastal areas.

Islanders are encouraged to take the following steps when preparing for hurricanes or other emergencies by:

• making a household emergency plan so that everyone knows what to do in case of emergency;
• updating your preparedness kits, including extra food, pet supplies, water, masks and hygiene products;
• bringing in or tying down furniture, play equipment, barbeques or anything that can become projectiles in the event of high winds;
• ensuring you have fuel for generators and vehicles, as well as propane for outdoor cooking devices such as barbeques;
• replacing batteries in smoke and carbon monoxide alarms;
• never operating a generator or barbeque anywhere inside a home, including a garage. Best practice is to keep a generator 20 feet from the home and pointing the exhaust away from the home;
• ensuring a generator is not operating in heavy rain unless the generator has a top cover protecting the electrical system; and
• keeping up with the latest information from reliable sources such as following PEI Government, local media, and law enforcement social media channels.

Islanders can find more information, including any updates over the weekend, on the Provincial Storm Response webpage.

Media contact:
Kip Ready
Department of Justice and Public Safety & PEI’s Emergency Measures Organization
kjready@gov.pe.ca