THANKS A LOT, JUAN

UNCLAS HALIFAX 000308 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV ECON AEMR CASC ASEC CA SUBJECT: THANKS A LOT, JUAN REF: HILL - OPS CENTER TELCONS 9/28 AND 29 ¶1. SUMMARY: Hurricane Juan crashed through Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island during the late evening/early morning of September 28/29, leaving two dead, two missing and millions of dollars in property damage. We have no reports of AMCIT deaths or injuries. Consulate is open to the public but will be at reduced staffing levels, probably for the remainder of the week. END SUMMARY. ¶2. Hurricane Juan made an unwelcome visit to Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island September 28/29. The storm killed two, downed trees and power lines and did millions of dollars worth of property damage. Two fishermen are also missing. We have no reports of AMCIT deaths or injuries. Coastal areas and moored boats were particularly hard-hit; a number of buildings suffered extensive damage when high winds ripped off roofing materials and allowed rain to flood in. Several hundred thousand people and businesses were left without power. Telephone lines seemed to do better in the storm than power lines, so some people still have phone service at home. Although the cell phone system was overwhelmed at several points on September 29 on the whole it functioned reasonably well. ¶3. Cleanup efforts are underway, but the power company cautions that it may be the end of the week before many people have their electricity restored. Maine's Governor Baldacci called Nova Scotia Premier Hamm in the wake of the storm to offer assistance; power line repair crews from Maine will be arriving to assist their Nova Scotia Power counterparts. New Brunswick has also sent repair crews to Nova Scotia and PEI. 600 military personnel have been assigned to cleanup operations. Halifax's downtown core has electricity and public transport has resumed on a limited schedule. Hospitals are open although many elective procedures are being postponed. Municipal, provincial and federal governments have told non-emergency personnel to stay home to keep roads clear for cleanup crews. ¶4. CONSULATE OPERATIONS: We have been in touch with all but one Consulate staff member; all are safe, although only one has electricity as of Tuesday morning and several do not have phone service. Main power was out until the afternoon of September 29 in the office tower where the Consulate is located, but Consul was able to verify that there was no damage to our facility and that alarms were operating on battery power. With power now restored we have re-opened for business but will operate at reduced staffing until hazards are cleared from the roads and travel becomes safer for our personnel. We anticipate resuming full operations NLT October 6. Government-owned Consul General's residence was hemmed in by fallen trees but suffered no damage in the storm, although it has been without power since about 11:30PM Sunday night. Liaison with RCMP protection and technical services branches has been excellent throughout the emergency.