Atlantic Canada is assessing the trail of destruction left by the historic post-tropical storm Fiona, as it moved inland from southeastern Quebec early on Sept. 25. Search and rescue operations have resumed, and at least one death has been reported in Prince Edward Island.
P.E.I. officials said at
a press conference on Sept. 25 that the cause of death has yet to be determined, but a primary investigation suggests that a generator is involved.
Government officials said at a separate
press conference later in the afternoon that a few hundred people have complained about their homes being washed away by the heavy rainfall, and that many more homes have been “
totally destroyed.”Fiona, one of the strongest storms yet seen in eastern Canada, reached the Gulf of St. Lawrence at around 3 a.m. ADT on Sept. 25, and made landfall in southeastern Quebec early in the day. On the night of Sept. 24, maximum gusts reached up to 130 km/hr in Cape Whittle and up to 126 km/hr in Îles-de-la-Madeleine, with 92 mm of rainfall, Environment Canada’s
weather summaries show.
The Magdalen Islands area was particularly hammered by the storm, and Quebec Public Safety Minister Geneviève Guilbault flew there on morning of Sept. 25 to view the extent of the damage.
“We are going to meet with these people and take stock of the situation. These people are tired and we can understand it, they have been in intense preparation and intervention for three to four days,” Guilbault told reporters before the boarding plane,
CTV reported.She said Quebec had sent additional reinforcements to the area.
In Newfoundland and Labrador, RCMP said the body of a woman who had been washed away during the storm was recovered with the aid of the Canadian Coast Guard and the Stephenville and Barachois Search and Rescue teams. Police said the body was found shortly before 4 p.m.,
according to CBC.Gusts reached up to 177 km/hr in Wreckhouse, NL, lashing the town of Port aux Basques with record-breaking waves.
“The town of Port aux Basques was inundated by over one metre of storm surge with large pounding waves. The Port aux Basques tide guage recorded a maximum total water level of 2.73 metres, exceeding its previous record of 2.71 metres set in 2017,” said
Environment Canada.
“First responders are dealing with multiple electrical fires, residential flooding and washouts. Residents are asked to obey evacuation orders and to find a safe place to weather the storm,” the RCMP advisory said.
Newfoundland Power reported outages still affecting more than 3,000 customers as of the morning Sept. 25, with restoration efforts hindered by
floods and road washouts, as well as
fallen trees that came in contact with power lines.
Public weather alerts have been issued for several regions in Newfoundland and Labrador, as well as for Blanc-Sablon in Quebec.
‘We Will Get Through This’
Environment Canada said when Fiona made landfall as a hurricane-strength post tropical cyclone in Nova Scotia early Sept. 24, it brought “what is expected to be the lowest recorded barometric pressure in Canadian history.”
“It generated severe winds, torrential rainfall and destructive storm surge,” the department said, with similar record-low barometric pressure recorded in Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick.
Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston said Fiona “certainly left her mark” in his province, asking residents to remain patient as recovery work is being carried out.
“Stay safe, stay patient, we will get through this for sure,” he said on
social media on Sept. 25.
Defence Minister Anita Anand said on Sept. 24 that the military will be deployed to support Nova Scotia’s recovery, without specifying the number of troops.
In New Brunswick, some 20,600 homes and businesses remain without power, with some provincial utility companies warning it could be days before the lights are back on for everyone.
The Canadian Press contributed to this report.
