Hurricane Fiona, which made a devastating passage in the Caribbean earlier this week, is now en route to Canada’s east coast, where it is expected to make landfall early Saturday morning. This will be accompanied by heavy rainfall, strong winds and expected storm surge along parts of the Atlantic coast. Fiona threatens to become one of the worst storms in Canadian history.
With the persistent wind, which reached speeds of up to 215 km/h, Fiona was still regarded as a hurricane of force four out of five on Wednesday and Thursday. During her passage in Bermuda on Friday night, Fiona lost a bit of power and fell to category 3. However, she still achieved wind speeds of 165 kilometers per hour, reports the Bermuda Weather Service, where the damage was limited last night.
Meanwhile, the hurricane continues its course towards Canada. A hurricane warning has been issued for the Atlantic provinces of Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Labrador, Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick and southern Quebec.
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Where it will fit in the history books we’ll have to determine in retrospect, but it’s sure to be a historic, extreme event for eastern Canada.
The storm is expected to reach Nova Scotia early Saturday morning as a Category 2 hurricane. Residents can expect sustained winds of 60 kilometers per hour, gusts in excess of 100 kilometers per hour and power outages. On top of that, another 100 to 200 millimeters of rain is expected. Local authorities also warn of flooding and fallen trees that could temporarily close the road.
Fiona is expected to be more powerful than Hurricane Juan in 2003 and Hurricane Dorian in 2019, which caused heavy damage in the past, Canadian Hurricane Center meteorologist Bob Robichaud said at a briefing. “Where it will fit in the history books will have to be determined in retrospect, but it will certainly be a historic, extreme event for eastern Canada,” Robichaud said.
emergency kits
The weather service is encouraging residents of Atlantic Canada to put together emergency kits for the next 72 hours to deal with any power outages and other storm-related issues. The kit should include food, water, medication and medical prescriptions for all people and pets in the home, as well as a means of charging cell phones if a landline is not available.
On Sunday, Fiona, then a Category 1 hurricane, swept over the Caribbean island of Puerto Rico, causing extensive damage. At least eight people were killed, the entire island was without power and was ravaged by flooding. Five days later, two-thirds of the population still has no electricity.
Couple trapped in hotel room during Hurricane Fiona: “We are cleaning up ourselves, the reception can’t send anyone because it’s too dangerous”
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