© NB PowerNB Power crews work to remove a build up of ice on trees and power lines following an ice storm on Jan. 25, 2017.
The images are strikingly beautiful: crystalline layers of ice coating trees, homes and power lines. But for the more than 61,000 households are still without power in New Brunswick, this week's ice storm has been a cold and dark nightmare.
"Right now, our priority is making sure that everybody is safe," New Brunswick Premier Brian Gallant told CTV Atlantic from a recently-opened warming centre in the province. "Everybody knows exactly what they can do to stay safe, and of course that we get everybody their electricity as quickly as possible."
The ice storm that swept through the province began on Tuesday, with some of the heaviest freezing rain and ice hitting New Brunswick's Acadian Peninsula Wednesday night.
On New Brunswick's frozen streets, broken branches dangle from powerlines, ice-heavy trees have fallen and split, and in some cases, the weight of the accumulated ice has been enough to snap wooden hydro poles. In affected areas, falling tree limbs and ice has created a steady percussive cacophony.
At the peak of the storm, more than 133,000 households were without power in the province. Crews have been toiling non-stop to get people back on the grid, but the work is so complex that NB Power says that they can't guarantee a restoration time at this point. More than half of affected households -- particularly those in Moncton and the Acadian Peninsula -- are still in the dark. NB Power is urging customers to remain patient.
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