Downgraded from hurricane to post-tropical cyclone, powerful storm Fiona hit eastern Canada on Saturday, cutting electricity to thousands and taking homes out to sea as it devastated the area with violent winds and rain.
Two women ended up in the ocean in Newfoundland, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police reported. One was saved, but the other is still missing. Mayor Brian Button of Channel-Port aux Basques, on the southwestern tip of Newfoundland, told CBC News the scene was “utter devastation”, adding, “This has gotten bigger and worse than we imagined.”
Rene Roy, the editor of a Channel-Port aux Basques newspaper, said: “These are the strongest winds anyone in the community has ever seen. Several houses were washed away by the sea. About 500,000 homes were without power at noon in the region as the storm swept across a wide area, knocking down countless trees and ripping roofs off buildings.”
“The power lines are down everywhere,” Erica Fleck, deputy chief of the Halifax Regional Fire and Emergency Department, told CBC. “She is not being safe on the streets”. Although Fiona was downgraded, she was still gripped by high winds of 130 km/h as she raced towards Canada, having already beaten the Caribbean, according to meteorologists.
The storm first made landfall in the province of Nova Scotia around 3 a.m. (0600 GMT), according to the Canadian Hurricane Center (CHC). In Nova Scotia, 384,000 homes were without power Saturday noon, Nova Scotia Power reported, while New Brunswick reported 32,000 and Prince Edward Island about 82,000.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau tweeted: “I want you to know that we are here for you. Our government is ready to support the provinces with additional resources.” Canada had issued severe weather warnings for parts of the east coast, advising people to stock up for at least 72 hours.
