The Wind Knocked It Down; the Crews Brought It Back

There is a particular kind of silence that settles over a coastline when the power goes out—not the quiet of peace, but the quiet of waiting. On the Avalon Peninsula, where the wind arrives from the Atlantic with a force that bends trees and tests the patience of those who live by the sea, that silence returned Thursday night. By Friday afternoon, it had lifted.

Heavy winds overnight knocked out electricity for more than 2,500 customers along the southern shore up to the St. Mary's area, with the outage beginning at 10:28 p.m. Thursday. A second outage was reported Friday morning in Conception Bay North, affecting about 2,045 customers in the Victoria to Ochre Pit Cove area. By early Friday afternoon, the outages had been removed from Newfoundland Power's map, and service had been restored.

Newfoundland Power spokesperson Glenda Power explained the challenge crews faced. The severe weather damaged power lines in a remote area not accessible by road, making it difficult to reach the damage quickly. "We have to focus on ensuring we make the repairs as quickly as possible but also as safely as possible," she said.

For those who spent the night without heat or light, the restoration came as a relief. The Avalon Peninsula is no stranger to such events. The wind is a familiar companion in this part of the world, and the infrastructure that carries power across its remote stretches is tested regularly. The crews who responded are accustomed to the work—the long drives, the inaccessible terrain, the careful balance between speed and safety.

The cause of the Conception Bay North outage was under investigation, according to the utility's outage centre. By Friday afternoon, the lights were back on, the furnaces were running, and the quiet of waiting had given way to the ordinary sounds of a coastline returning to its rhythm.

AI Image Disclaimer: The accompanying visual is AI-generated and does not depict the actual outage or repair crews.

Sources: CBC News, Newfoundland Power