Post-Tropical Storm Fiona arrived in Nova Scotia in the early hours of Saturday morning, confirms the US National Hurricane Center, which says the center made landfall on the Canso Peninsula on the eastern tip of the province, near of Hart Island.
In a tweet posted around 5 a.m. on Twitter, the Canadian Hurricane Center (ECCC) said that “with an unofficial pressure recorded at Hart Island of 931.6 mb, this makes the lowest storm on record in the Canada”.
In its Saturday morning update, the center said Fiona is expected to pass through Cape Breton in the morning, then reach Quebec’s Lower North Shore and southeastern Labrador by late evening.
power outages
The storm knocked out power to more than 500,000 customers in the Maritimes.
Most damage was reported in eastern Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Cape Breton. North of Nova Scotia, most residents of Prince Edward Island are without power.
As of 6 a.m. local time, Maritime Electric reported outages affecting 82,213 customers of the 86,000 served by the company.
In Nova Scotia, Nova Scotia Power reported that 376,939 customers were without power. In New Brunswick, NB Power reported outages affected 47,017 customers.
The Canadian Hurricane Center reported very strong winds; hurricane-force gusts have already been recorded in eastern Nova Scotia, Cape Breton, Prince Edward Island, Îles-de-la-Madeleine, Quebec , and in southwestern Newfoundland and Labrador.
Hydro-Québec reported shortly before 6:00 a.m. that 1,476 customers in the Magdalen Islands were without power. Tropical storm force winds will spread through eastern Quebec and southeastern Labrador on Saturday.
In Gaspésie, 1,810 Hydro-Québec customers were also without power this morning, mainly in the Rocher-Percé and MRC d’Avignon sectors.
Lots of rain and storm surges
Storm Fiona, described as “historic” by meteorologists, is also expected to bring 100 to 200 millimeters of rain to much of Atlantic Canada and eastern Quebec. More than 200 millimeters are expected to fall in areas closer to the storm’s track.
“Higher than normal water levels and very large waves are expected,” according to Environment Canada.
Storm surge warnings are in effect for most of the Gulf of St. Lawrence, southwestern Newfoundland, eastern Nova Scotia and the east coast of New Brunswick, with surges may exceed 12 meters in the eastern parts of the Gulf of St. Lawrence and the Cabot Strait.
Coastal flooding remains a threat to parts of Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, including the Northumberland Strait, Gulf of St. Lawrence and Les Îles-de-la-Madeleine, all such as eastern New Brunswick, southwestern Newfoundland, the St. Lawrence Estuary and the Lower North Shore of Quebec.
Hurricane and tropical storm warnings are in effect for several areas.
The authorities on the alert
Citizens in Fiona’s path have been advised to have provisions for a 72-hour period. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has delayed his departure for Japan, where he is to attend the funeral of former Prime Minister of Japan Shinzo Abe.
“We are working with the provinces and we are ready to help if needed. Be careful, ”reiterated Mr. Trudeau in a tweet. “Our team continues to monitor Hurricane Fiona and the situation in Atlantic Canada and Quebec,” he said.
For his part, the Prime Minister and leader of the Coalition avenir Québec (CAQ), François Legault, indicated Friday evening that he is suspending his electoral campaign until further notice because of Fiona’s trajectory, which should also affect the Quebec.
“We think of the people of the Côte-Nord, Gaspésie and Îles-de-la-Madeleine […] You are made strong, the Madelinots. Know that all of Quebec is with you, ”says a tweet on the official page of Premier Legault.
“I am in Quebec in contact with the Deputy Prime Minister and the Secretary General of the Government”, he specified.