2022-09-28
Minimal impact from Fiona on the South Shore
by KEVIN MCBAIN
BRIDGEWATER - Fiona left a mess.
The hurricane, that at one point was a Category 4, made landfall as a post-tropical storm near the Canso and Guysborough area early Saturday morning and gutted parts of Newfoundland, Nova Scotia and PEI, the worst hit areas.
One person died in Newfoundland after being swept out to sea, as were several homes.
The storm left thousands without power, more than 400,000 at one point in Nova Scotia, as power poles were knocked over and trees fell on power lines.
On the South Shore, trees had fallen throughout the night Sept. 24, some across roads, and others across power lines, but in the end...
"Our area fared well during the storm," said Angela Henhoeffer, Lunenburg County's Emergency Management Co-ordinator in a press release. "Between the track of Hurricane Fiona as it approached Nova Scotia, and the fact that residents took pre-storm warnings seriously, people in Lunenburg County were as prepared as possible to face the challenges that came with the storm."
Comfort centres were opened at multiple locations in Lunenburg and Queens counties after the centre of the storm had passed by midday on Saturday, with volunteers at a half-dozen facilities providing power and drinking water to those who had lost services during the storm.
"We really want to thank everyone who has given their time to work at the local comfort centres over the past few days," Henhoeffer said. "That kind of dedication to your community and to your neighbours in need is so important during a time like this."
At one point, Hurricane Fiona was classified as a Category 4, but continued to be downgraded as it hit cooler waters. However, it still packed a punch. Winds as high as 179 km/h were recorded in Arisaig, NS.
Nova Scotia Power crews, and others from New Brunswick, Maine and Quebec and tree limbers continued to be busy throughout the weekend, clearing roads and restoring power. On Monday, it was announced that close to 100 military personnel would be deployed to the worst hit areas in the Maritimes to help with cleanup.
Sunday, the sun came out and the weather was warm for people to clean-up and for power workers to get more residents back on the grid. Events such as Mahone Bay's Scarecrow festival, went ahead Sunday.
