Fiona wreaked havoc in the Caribbean as a hurricane before moving into the Atlantic and making landfall again as a post-tropical cyclone. The storm ripped a path of destruction across Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland before weakening and moving out to sea on Sunday.
Now, officials are beginning to explain the damage done in the region.
Nova Scotia, where Fiona first made landfall in the early hours of Saturday morning, was hit hard by the storm. Strong winds toppled trees and power lines, washed out roads, littered neighborhoods with debris and, in many cases, snapped entire power poles in half, officials said.
Officials are prioritizing power restoration after Fiona knocked out power lines and communications networks across the province, Premier Tim Houston said Sunday morning.
“Getting the roads cleared, giving the crews room to do what needs to be done, that’s the biggest thing right now,” Houston said. “It will take time.”
One person in Newfoundland died as a result of the storm. Houston said there have not been too many reports of serious injuries, although about 200 people are currently displaced from their homes.
“The damage is significant, but right now the priority is getting people back in power, getting people to a safe haven, getting some back to normal,” he said. “That’s going to take time when we get out of this.”
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Saturday that the government approved Nova Scotia’s request for federal aid and that the Canadian Armed Forces will be deployed to help the region. The Prime Minister said residents endured a “terrifying” 12-hour Saturday.
“People have seen their homes destroyed, they’ve seen the winds rip off the roofs of schools,” Trudeau said. “And as Canadians, as we always do in times of need, we will be there for each other.”
In Charlottetown on Prince Edward Island, police shared images of downed power lines on top of buildings, downed trees blocking roads and holes in structures. The region’s utility, Maritime Electric, said it was concerned about people walking and driving on streets where there is widespread damage from downed power lines and possible live wires.
Power outages in Nova Scotia
Several provinces were affected by the strong winds and rain, but none more so than Nova Scotia. As of Sunday morning, about 350,000 customers were still without power early Sunday in Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick, including about 250,000 in Nova Scotia, according to Poweroutage.com.
Nearly three-quarters of Nova Scotia lost power as Fiona moved through, Houston said Saturday. Wind gusts of 171 km/h (106 mph) were recorded in the provincial town of Arisaig on Saturday. Meanwhile, Wreckhouse in Newfoundland saw gusts of 170 km/h (105 mph).
Poor weather conditions have hampered power restoration efforts, Nova Scotia Power president and CEO Peter Gregg said Saturday. More than 900 electrical technicians were en route to the area, but some customers may experience power outages for several days, he said.
In Halifax, Nova Scotia’s capital, strong winds uprooted trees and downed power lines, sending sparks flying and lights out.
The roof of a Halifax apartment complex collapsed, forcing about 100 people to flee to a shelter, Mayor Mike Savage told CNN on Saturday.
“The magnitude of this storm has been stunning,” Savage said later at a news conference Saturday. “It turned out to be everything planned.”
Osborne Head in Nova Scotia received 192 mm (7.55 in) of rain and Crowe Brook in New Brunswick received 107 mm (4.2 in), among other heavy rainfall amounts in the provinces.
“Total war zone”, says the mayor of Port aux Basques
In Newfoundland, video showed buildings floating in water and cars submerged in heavy rain. A woman was rescued from the water after her home collapsed, according to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. She was taken to a hospital; The extent of his injuries was not immediately known, police said.
Port aux Basques, a city in the southwestern tip of Newfoundland, was also one of the hardest hit areas, Trudeau said Saturday.
“We are seeing devastating images coming out of Port aux Basques,” he said. “Obviously, as we see the images of houses falling into the sea, of waves destroying property and buildings, our first thought has to be for the people.”
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police on Sunday recovered the body of a 73-year-old woman who had been washed out to sea the day before in Port aux Basques.
“The woman was last seen inside the residence moments before a wave hit the house, tearing out part of the basement,” police said in a press release.
This is the first death attributed to Fiona in Canada. The storm has claimed at least six more lives in its path: one in Guadeloupe, three in Puerto Rico and two in the Dominican Republic.
Port aux Basques first responders were dealing with multiple electrical fires, residential flooding and washouts.
“We have a total war zone here, we have destruction everywhere,” Port aux Basques Mayor Brian Button said in a video update, warning that more storm surge was expected.
Port aux Basques is now under a boil water order and many residents were still without power. Concrete barriers were also installed around areas the storm made “danger zones,” the mayor said.
The Port aux Basques tide gauge recorded a total maximum water level of 2.73 meters (8.96 feet), surpassing its previous record of 2.71 meters (8.89 feet) set in 2017, according to the Center Canadian Hurricanes.
CNN’s Derek Van Dam, Eric Levenson, Tina Burnside, Jason Hanna, Christina Maxouris, Hannah Sarisohn and Andy Rose contributed to this report.