Two people have reportedly died in Canada in the havoc wreaked by the powerful post-tropical storm, Fiona.
The body of one of the victims, a missing woman, was recovered in the waters off Port aux Basques. She is thought to have been sheltering in her basement when waves as high as 40 feet broke through her home and swept her out to sea.
Her home was among the more than 20 that were destroyed, and hundreds are still displaced, as the storm left boulders and debris scattered across the community.
Another person died on Prince Edward Island, where generator issues may have played a role.
In a statement, the RCMP said officers located and recovered the woman’s body shortly before 4 p.m. NT, along with the assistance of the Canadian Coast Guard and the Stephenville and Barachois Search and Rescue teams.
The storm – which was previously classed as a hurricane – packed intense winds of 80 miles per hour when it arrived with force rarely seen in eastern Canada, bringing torrential rain and waves of up to 40 feet.
“The devastation is immense,” Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston said. “The magnitude of the storm is incredible.”
Minister of Industry, Energy and Technology, Andrew Parsons, who is from Port aux Basques and heading back to the region, told CBC News on Sunday that the community finds itself in a state of shock.
“It’s a disaster like we’ve never seen before,” said Parsons. “I don’t think any of us [were] prepared or have seen anything like this.”
“Everybody is on deck saying ‘whatever can be done, will be done,'” said Parsons. “Right now, I think it’s a case of assessing the damage, assessing the totality of it. I think we’re just focused on recovery. We’re just trying to connect people with who they need to be connected with. Figure out who is displaced, who needs help. It’s the beginning of the recovery.”
Nova Scotia premier Tim Houston told CBC the Canadian military had been deployed to help clear trees and roads.
Emergency Preparedness Minister Bill Blair said the Canadian armed forces would also provide assistance to Newfoundland’s cleanup efforts.
This is the third province to request federal military assistance, after Nova Scotia on Saturday and Prince Edward Island earlier Sunday.
“The initial assessments say that, overall, our road infrastructure may have fared out a little bit better than we initially thought, but there are considerable pockets of severe damage all across Prince Edward Island,” said P.E.I. Premier Dennis King.
“The magnitude and the severity of the damage is beyond anything that we’ve seen in our province’s history,” added King.
