A tree sits against power lines and a home after Storm Fiona hits Nova Scotia in Canada. Photo: DREW ANGERER
Hundreds of thousands of people have been left without power after Storm Fiona hit Canada’s coastline.
Fiona was downgraded from a hurricane to a tropical storm on Friday but parts of three provinces experienced torrential rain and winds of up to 160km/h, with trees and powerlines felled and houses washed into the sea.
Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the situation was critical, and promised to provide support through the army.
Officials have yet to share reports of fatalities or serious injuries, but authorities are dealing with extensive flooding.
In a briefing Trudeau described Fiona as “a very powerful and dangerous storm” and said the army will be deployed to help with assessment and clean-up efforts.
“If there is anything the federal government can do to help, we will be there,” he said, adding that he would no longer travel to Japan to attend the funeral of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
Tropical storm warnings were issued for the Atlantic provinces of Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and New Brunswick, as well as in parts of Quebec.
In Port aux Basques on the southwest tip of Newfoundland, intense flooding saw some homes and office buildings washed out to sea, local journalist Rene Roy told CBC.
“This is hands down the most terrifying thing I’ve ever seen in my life,” he said.
Roy added that many homes were left as “a pile of rubble in the ocean right now”, and said: “There is an apartment building that’s literally gone. There are entire streets that are gone.”
Officials later confirmed that at least 20 homes had been lost.
Power companies have warned that it could take days to restore electricity, as wind speeds remain too high to start work on downed power lines.
Severe hurricanes in Canada are rare, as storms lose their energy once they hit colder waters in the north and become post-tropical instead. But pressure in the region is predicted to be historically low as Storm Fiona hits, making way for a heavier storm.
Fiona had already wreaked havoc on Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic earlier this week, with many still left without power or running water.
In the US, Florida also faces a hurricane threat as tropical storm Ian strengthened as it moved over the Caribbean on Saturday. It could approach Florida early next week as a major hurricane.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency on Friday, freeing up funding and emergency services in advance of the storm.
– BBC/ RNZ
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