The damage caused last month by the post-tropical storm Fiona in Prince Edward Island may not be repaired before the next storm of such intensity passes, experts say.
Posted at 11:58 a.m.
Rough waters and gusts exceeding 100 kilometers per hour have eaten away at large parts of Prince Edward Island National Park, leaving an altered coastline of beaches and sand dunes.
Parks Canada spokesman James Eastham called the damage caused by Fiona “very striking” and “quite obvious”.
“Based on our initial assessments, there is between three and 10 meters of coastal erosion in various locations, but it is too early to get a full picture of the disruption to wildlife habitat caused by Fiona “.
After the storm, much of the area in and around the communities of Cavendish-North Rustico, Brackley-Dalvay and Greenwich was a picture of torn trees and washed-out coastlines. Green Gables Heritage Place, Ardgowan National Historic Site and Skmaqn-Port-la-Joye-Fort Amherst National Historic Site were also damaged by the storm.
Professor Chris Houser, from the University of Windsor’s School of Environment, said coastal ecosystems are always in motion, and waves and wind move sands over the years. But what we saw during the passage of Fiona was a very big storm that hit at high tide. So there was a very big storm surge and very big waves and as a result large parts of the beach and dunes were eroded.
“The affected areas will eventually recover fully, but it could take a considerable time, Professor Houser fears, possibly several decades for this recovery to be complete. »
A storm that swept through on Sept. 30, 1923, accompanied by high winds, produced large waves and severe dune erosion that took decades to heal, said Chris Houser. According to newspapers, the storm surge from the 1923 flood affected more than 50 bridges; many of them were washed away or left impassable.
Professor Houser points out that Fiona did not cause a major overflow, but in his opinion, an increase in the number of large storms could create a similar effect. “We are now in a position where the water levels are rising. Sea ice is less and less common. There is less sea ice for less time. »
Parks Canada will be conducting aerial surveys over the next few weeks and comparing data from before and after the storm to get a more complete picture of the destruction of Fiona.
While Piping Plovers and Bank Swallows had already taken flight south before Fiona does not hit, conservationists will be closely monitoring coastal ecosystems and species at risk over the coming year to see how the storm has affected animals and their habitats. Some species like bank swallows depend on newly exposed sandbanks to build their nests.
Fiona could also have affected freshwater and wetland species due to the large amount of debris, sand and salt water that spilled into areas near the shore.