Power grid survives threat from high winds

Prince Edward Islanders finally caught a break from the weather Wednesday night, as high winds caused little damage to a power grid made vulnerable by heavy ice.

About 19,000 Islanders, most of the households west of Charlottetown, remain without electricity Thursday morning following an ice storm that started Monday and continued unabated in some areas until Wednesday.

Officials with Maritime Electric were very concerned Wednesday evening that forecast high winds would make the situation even worse, bringing down ice-laden trees onto lines, and causing lines heavy with ice to sway andcontact each other, creating short circuits.

The winds arrived, but appear to have caused little damage.

Maritime Electric restored power to about 600 homes in the Sherbrooke area north of Summerside Wednesday evening. It was also finally able to get a helicopter into the air shortly before dark Wednesday to survey the damage. The helicopter had been grounded by weather, making assessment difficult, especially of power lines not running along roads. The helicopter is expected to fly again Thursday morning.

Thirty-seven crews, from both P.E.I. and New Brunswick, will be working Thursday to restore power.