HALIFAX, Nova Scotia, Sept 24 (Reuters) – Storm Fiona swept across Canada’s east coast on Saturday, plunging hundreds of thousands of homes into darkness and causing widespread damage.
The former hurricane, which caused major damage in the Caribbean a week ago, reached the Gulf of St. Lawrence after tearing down numerous trees and electricity pylons in Nova Scotia and Prince Edward.
After its passage, 69% of subscribers in Nova Scotia were still without electricity, ie 360,720 customers, and 95% of those in Prince Edward Island, ie 82,000. Mobile telephone services were also disrupted and many roads were cut off.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said storm Fiona had caused significant damage and reconstruction would be a “big effort”.
He added that the armed forces will be deployed to help clean up and that federal assistance will be given to Nova Scotia.
According to the United States Hurricane Center (NHC), Fiona was still generating gusting winds of 140 km/h when it reached the Gulf of St. noticeably weakened since it made landfall.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has been forced to delay his departure for Japan, where he is due to attend former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s funeral, to keep up to date with developments, the official said. his press service on Twitter.
The two main airlines in the country, Air Canada and WestJet Airlines, had suspended all their regional flights as of Friday evening.
According to the CBC channel, the police have opened an investigation into a woman who was allegedly swept away by the sea. (Report by Eric Martyn Halifax and John Morris Stephenville, French version Tangi Salan and Matthieu Protard)