No electricity for 33 hours

Some people in western P.E.I. have been without electricity since 5 a.m. Monday as a storm that has been battering the province for three days continues.

We're fending quite well. We have lots of wood.- Cletus Dunn

At 3 p.m. Tuesday about 2,200 customers were without power. At one point, as freezing rain came down Monday, as many as 15,000 had no electricity. Blizzard conditions were making repairs difficult. Three Maritime Electric crews had to be pulled off the road in the Kensington area early Tuesday afternoon.

Dozens of people have taken advantage of a warming centre at the school in Lennox Island. The Lennox Island band council and the local fire department set up the centre in the gym.At least three adults and 10 children stayed overnight.

The Red Cross is providing food and other supplies at the centre.Volunteers took supplies by truck to one side of the causeway leading to Lennox Island onMonday evening. Fire officials met them there.

The Alberton fire hall also has a warming centre.

Maritime Electric says there is significant work to be done in western P.E.I. because downed poles in O'Leary and Seacow Pond need to be replaced.

Cletus Dunn lives in Brooklyn, outside Alberton, and is one of those who has been without power since early Monday.

"We do have a wood stove, so we do have heat, and we have a battery-operated radio so we can listen to CBC and get all the news," said Dunn.

"We're faringquite well. We have lots of wood, enough wood I hope to keep us through to the end of the week. I was in O'Leary yesterday evening and noticed all the poles down, so [crews] have a lot of work ahead of them. On the west side of the roundabout there must have been nine to 12 poles down there all in a row."

There is still a lot of ice on wires and poles, and some areas are still losing poweras Maritime Electric restores others.

With the power going on and off in various communities, it is unclear exactly how many people have been without electricity for more than 24 hours.