HALIFAX — Up to 700 Canadian Forces personnel will be fanning out across the Maritimes today to help restore electricity, clear roadways and evacuate residents in flooded areas following the wrath of Dorian.
The former hurricane howled into Atlantic Canada yesterday as a ferocious post-tropical storm with wind gusts reaching nearly 150 kilometres an hour.
In the Halifax area, which was among the hardest hit, the storm uprooted trees, ripped into roofs and pulled down powerlines, leaving hundreds of thousands of people in the dark.
Nova Scotia Power said it had crews standing by ready to make repairs as soon as it was safe for them to do so.
As the storm plowed into Prince Edward Island, about 50,000 homes and businesses were soon without power, as were another 74,000 in New Brunswick.
Early this morning the west coast of Newfoundland and Labrador was bracing for heavy rain, strong winds, storm surges and large waves, however, Newfoundland Power said it was ready for the storm and would provided updates through an automated alert system.
There have been no reports of injuries in the Maritimes linked to Dorian, but dramatic footage shared on social media showed a large crane swaying in the wind and collapsing into the side of an empty apartment building under construction in downtown Halifax.
In the city’s south end, a roof was ripped off another apartment complex, while other images on social media showed scores of upended trees, a torn-up waterfront boardwalk, flooded streets and flying debris.
The Canadian Red Cross opened three evacuation shelters in the Halifax region.
As Dorian closed in on the Maritimes, it strengthened to become a Category 2 hurricane with sustained winds reaching 160 km/h. But it weakened by the time it came ashore near Sambro, N.S., at 7:15 p.m. and was downgraded to a post-tropical storm.
Despite its downgrade, Dorian continued to produce hurricane-force winds well above 120 km/h.
The Canadian Press
The Canadian Press
