Atlantic Canada Assesses Damage from Post-tropical Storm Fiona

Post-tropical storm Fiona swept through Atlantic Canada and eastern Quebec this weekend, knocking out power to hundreds of thousands of people, washing away homes and cottages, and causing widespread flooding and infrastructure damage.

While the insured and economic damages associated with the storm are still being assessed, more than half a million people were left in the dark at the height of the storm on Saturday, the Canadian Press reported. This included 80% of Nova Scotia Power’s customers and 90% of Prince Edward Island.

In Port Aux Basques, a 73-year-old woman died after being swept out to sea, and a record-breaking storm surge swamped a residential neighbourhood, smashing or submerging numerous homes and outbuildings.

Widespread power outages were also reported. By late Sunday afternoon, more than 242,000 homes and businesses in Nova Scotia were still without electricity. In P.E.I., more than 82,000 Maritime Electric customers remained in the dark, CP said.