'Here we go': Public safety minister urges Islanders to look out for each other during storm
P.E.I.'s minister of public safety is encouraging Islanders to look out for one another as Teddy blows past the province over the next 36 hours.
Teddy, a Category 1 hurricane as of 6 p.m. AT Tuesday, is expected to make landfall early Wednesday as a post-tropical storm.
But Bloyce Thompson said there is still a lot of uncertainty about the storm and is grateful people are getting prepared and taking it seriously.
"All Islanders listened and are ready for this and here we go," he said.
"I just want to remind everyone to please check on your loved ones, your neighbours. Islanders helping Islanders is what makes me so proud to be an Islander."
Tanya Mullally, P.E.I.'s Emergency Measures Organization co-ordinator, said she has been working closely with utilities, telecoms, Red Cross, municipalities and first responders about preparations and plans.
She said a 1-800 line will be up for general inquiries about storm response Wednesday and the days following.
CBC meteorologist Jay Scotland said the main areas of concern for P.E.I. are potential power outages, local flooding from heavy rain and coastal flooding/erosion due to elevated water levels and high waves, particularly at high tide.
'Never know'
Islanders were out getting last minute essentials Tuesday ahead of any bad weather and Kevin Devine was one of many at the gas pumps filling his car.
"You never know what's going to happen, so I was just passing here, I saw the gas station I thought I'd fill up," he said.
He said next on his list was some water — other than that he is ready to weather the storm.
Construction sites are also making sure things are safe and secure.
Jeff Paynter is working with MacDougall Steel. The crew is working on a new residence at UPEI. He said workers were busy cleaning up the site Tuesday afternoon.
"Make sure all the loose ends are cleaned up, nothing that can blow around," he said.
Paynter said he is hoping to get the crane back in the air by Thursday. This isn't the first time he's had to prep a construction site for hurricane-like weather — he said last year he was working on a six-storey development in downtown Charlottetown before post-tropical storm Dorian hit the province.
"Kind of used to it now," he said.
Boats out of the water
Boat owners cleared their vessels from the Charlottetown Yacht Club and the Peaks Quay Harbour.
Chris Francis got his boat on dry land — but he is worried about the wind the storm could bring.
"I will be probably at home or down here checking on the boat every once in a while," he said.
Francis said he has asked people how much wind it would take to knock a boat on a trailer over — but he never got clear answer.
"A couple weeks ago when we had 45 knots of wind gusts and we were fine with that," he said. "I think you would have to be in an excess of 50 or 60 knots before these would even fall over."
Sixty knots would be equal to about 111 km/h.
Farmers are also hoping to avoid the devastation they had last year when post-tropical Dorian flattened corn and other crops.
Tanya Mackenzie, owner of Mackenzie Produce, shut down her stand early on Tuesday ahead of the storm.
"We are cleaning up things that are sitting around, picking up pieces of wood, picking up signage," she said.
"Anchoring tables down so they don't blow away. We pulled our straw wagon into the barn so it doesn't get wet."
Pumpkins will remain outside, and Mackenzie said she hopes they don't roll away.
"We're hoping Hurricane Teddy winds are not too strong and damaging. We have greenhouses and we are hoping the greenhouses don't come down," she said.
"We could quite possibly lose our corn maze."
Mackenzie said she is optimistic her farm will make it through the weather.
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