STEPHENVILLE, Newfoundland: After powerful storm Fiona left a path of destruction along Canada’s east coast on Saturday, massive cleanup efforts focused on assessing damage and restoring power and telecom services. given as officials warned of a long road to recovery.
The historic storm slammed into eastern Canada with hurricane-force winds, forcing evacuations, uprooting trees and power lines, and reducing many homes to “just a pile of rubble.”
The Canadian Hurricane Center estimated that Fiona was the lowest pressure hurricane on record to make landfall in Canada.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the Canadian Armed Forces would be deployed to help with the cleanup, adding that Fiona had caused significant damage and recovery would require a major effort.
Despite the intensity of the storm, there were no serious injuries or deaths, which government officials say is the result of residents heeding repeated warnings.
Still, thousands of residents in Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island (PEI) and Newfoundland were without power and dealing with weak telecom connections, and government officials pleaded with residents to be patient.
He warned that in some cases it would take weeks for essential services to be fully restored.
“We know the damage is extensive, probably the worst we’ve ever seen,” Dennis King, the Premier of PEI, told reporters on Saturday.
“Islanders should know that our road to recovery will be weeks or longer,” he added.
Many university students are queuing for food outside convenience stores powered by generators due to power outages caused by Fiona. The Canadian Red Cross has launched a fundraising campaign to help those affected.
Officials say the full extent of the devastation will be known in the coming days and weeks. But with gusts of up to 170km/h, Fiona swept away homes, bridges and roads, reminiscent of the damage caused by other storms, including Hurricane Dorian in 2019, which is estimated to have The insurance bill was C$105. Million.
Premiers from affected provinces told the federal government they needed long-term support around public and critical infrastructure, as well as immediate relief for businesses and families after the storm ripped off roofs from schools and community centers. So that they can lead a normal life faster.
The storm also severely damaged fishing ports in Atlantic Canada, which could hurt the country’s C$3.2 billion lobster industry, unless it is fully restored before the season opens in a few weeks.
Canadian Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Dominic LeBlanc said Saturday that “these fishermen urgently need to be able to access their livelihood after the storm passes.”
“So that’s exactly the kind of work that will happen with provincial authorities in the coming weeks and months,” he added.
