Thousands lose power as brutal storm whips province

Power outages started piling up Thursday as a fierce winter storm creamed New Brunswick, bringing transportation, whether by air, road or water, to a near halt and closing all but essential government services.

Police advised against highway driving, public transit services were shut down early, flights were cancelled and widespread closures were in effect because of unsafe conditions.

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As of 9p.m., more than 12,400NB Power customers had lost power, including 6,000 on the Acadian Peninsula.

In theSackville-PortElgin area, nearly 3,600 customers lostelectricity,and otherpower failures occurred across the province.

Power outages

More than 1,100 NB Power customers in the Monctonarealost power early onThursday, but nearly all were reconnected by 3 p.m., according to spokeswomanMarie-AndreBolduc.

Thousands more lost power as the storm wore on, including thousands of Acadian Peninsula customers in the evening.

The outages in the northeast werea reminder of the severe ice storm that rocked the region a year ago and left thousands without power for days. Two people died from carbon monoxide poisoning during the 2017 storm.

Bolduc said the majority of customers on the peninsula are affected by "one incident that should be fairly easy to repair."

"However the road conditions are poor and violent winds are ongoing. Once they are able to safely make it to the site, they will make the repairs," she said.

NB Power has about 70 crews ready to respond if required and when it's safe to do so,Bolducsaid in an email to CBCNews.

Bolducsaidcrews will be available to respond to overnightpriority calls to facilities such ashospitals, nursing homes.

"Beyond that, the storm is ongoing and safety is paramount," she said. "We have to wait until the storm has subsided and the roads are safe for our crews to get to the affected areas and begin the assessment of the work required.

"We understand this situation is not an easy one for our customers."

'Travel not recommended'

You know things arebad when taxis are pulled off the road, but that's what happenedin Fredericton after the storm swept into the city about noon.

Like most business owners in the area,George Youssef of Checker Cabs closed early, a rare occurrence in the past quarter-century.

"If we had drivers, we would probably stay open with one or two cars, but I can't even find those right now,"Youssefsaid.

In storm warnings to the entire province, Environment Canada said total snowfall could amount to between 25 and 45 centimetres. Strong winds were expected to gust up to 100 kilometres an hour.

Check out Storm Centre New Brunswick for up-to-date closures, outages and travel advisories.

New Brunswick RCMP are advising drivers against travelling on Route 1 between St. Stephen and Petitcodiac, Route 2, the Trans-Canada Highway, between Monctonand the Quebec border, and Route 95 to the Maine border.

"Motorists should avoid driving during the storm, particularly on highways," the New Brunswick Emergency Measures Organization said in a tweet.

If travel is required, the organization said people should first check 511.gnb.ca for road conditions.

'You don't have to shovel rain'

KalinMitchell, aCBCmeteorologist, and Environment Canada said the storm will persist into Friday, with an additional 10 centimetres of snow expected in northern New Brunswick.

Heavy, blowing snow began falling in in Fredericton about noon and spread northward.In the evening, snow was overtaken at times by freezing rain. Ice pellets and finally rain were forecast foreasternmost regions in the evening.

In the Greater Saint John region, heavy snow also started aroundnoon, with wind gusts reaching up to 100 km/h, creating low visibility in outlying areas, such asRothesay, before switchingto rain, icy snow, then back to snow and rain again.

Still, ErikMadsenwas upbeat.

"It's heading in the direction I like, which appears to be more rain," he said."You don't have to shovel rain."

People are advised to stay away from shorelines in Saint John and county overnight, during high tide.

"Water levels from near Saint John west to the Maine border will be elevated enough to cause coastal flooding in vulnerable areas," an alert issued by Environment Canada states.

The frozen ground has a reduced ability to absorb water, the weather agency said.

Carbon monoxide risk

Danielle Elliott of the Emergency Measures Organization stressed that snow accumulation and power outages canlead to an increased risk ofcarbon monoxide poisoning. People should have carbon monoxide detectors inside their homes and make sure they don't use fuel sources indoors.

"If you want to cook or use power, don't use a generator in your home or your garage," she said.

"Don't barbecue or use any little propane fuelled stoves inside your home either."

Residents who know of seniors or anyoneliving alone are encouraged tocheck on them if they can, she said.

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Two people died from the effects of carbon monoxide poisoning after last weeks ice storm, and more than 30 others were sent to hospital with symptoms of poisoning.