N.S. Power assists to restore power in Florida [Video]

Power line technicians from Nova Scotia are on the ground in Tampa, Fla., assisting in power restoration after Hurricanes Helene and Milton barreled across the state, leaving extensive damage and millions in the dark.

A crew of 35 people from Nova Scotia Power arrived in Tampa this weekend and began work Saturday to restore electricity to some of the impacted homes and businesses after Milton hit last week.

“On the ground, we’re seeing a lot of trees down and wires down… a lot of destruction,” Paul Breski, restoration lead for the province’s utility, said during a virtual media briefing Sunday.

Breski said crews are working 16-hour shifts dealing with downed trees and splicing lines to reconnect power.

The Nova Scotia crew joins hundreds of Canadian line workers who have travelled to the southern United States to help with restoration since Hurricane Helene hit in late September.

Breski said the impacts of Hurricane Milton in Tampa appear similar to what Nova Scotia experienced during post-tropical storm Fiona in 2022.

What’s very different, Breski …