Storm Fiona batters Canada’s coast as houses fall into the sea
Canada is sending troops to help clean up after Storm Fiona destroyed homes and power lines in eastern provinces.
Anita Anand, the defense minister, said they would help clear fallen trees and other debris, restore transport links and do whatever is necessary for as long as it takes.
He did not say how many troops would be sent to support communities after the extreme weather event.
After exiting the northern Caribbean as a hurricane, Storm Fiona hit Canada early Saturday local time as a post-tropical cyclone.
It hit Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and Quebec with hurricane-force winds, heavy rain and huge waves.
Houses were swept out to sea and roofs ripped off houses during the tropical storm. At least one person is missing.
On Sunday, Puerto Rico said at least 16 deaths had been linked to the hurricane.
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NASA cancels Artemis l launch as Tropical Storm Ian heats into powerful hurricane heading for Florida
NASA has canceled the launch of its Artemis l moon rocket as Tropical Storm Ian is set to intensify into a powerful hurricane.
The space agency’s team announced Saturday morning that, after holding a planning meeting, they had decided to postpone Tuesday’s launch attempt amid concerns about upcoming extreme weather.
“NASA is giving up a launch opportunity on Tuesday, September 27th and preparing for scaling back, while continuing to monitor the weather forecast associated with Tropical Storm Ian,” the agency tweeted Saturday morning.
Tropical Storm Ian developed over the central Caribbean Sea this week and is expected to make landfall in Florida as a Category 3 hurricane by the middle of next week.
The Independent’s Rachel Sharp has the full story:
NASA cancels Artemis l launch as Tropical Storm Ian becomes a powerful hurricane
The launch was postponed just hours after Gov. Ron DeSantis issued an emergency declaration for 24 Florida counties.
Rachel Sharp September 25, 2022 12:30 pm
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“We are here to serve our country and our communities,” says the Army division
A Canadian military division in the country’s Atlantic, which has been hit hard by Storm Fiona, says it is ready to help.
“We are here to serve our country and our communities,” they tweeted:
Zoe Tidman September 25, 2022 12:10 p.m
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The ‘most intense storm’ in Canadian history
A meteorologist says Storm Fiona was the “most intense” storm ever to hit Canada:
Zoe Tidman September 25, 2022 11:49 am
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Pictured: Storm Fiona batters Canada
Here are some more images of the devastation caused by Storm Fiona:
Houses have been destroyed near the sea during the tropical storm
(via REUTERS)
(REUTERS)
An uprooted tree lies against a house in Nova Scotia after Storm Fiona
(Getty Images)
Zoe Tidman September 25, 2022 11:31 am
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A woman rescued as post-tropical cyclone Fiona washed houses into the sea
A woman had to be rescued from the waters as post-tropical cyclone Fiona swept a dozen homes into the sea off the coast of Canada.
The woman, who has not been named, was thrown into the water when her home collapsed in the Channel-Port Aux Basques area of Newfoundland on Saturday, according to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) in Newfoundland and Labrador.
An RCMP spokesperson said the woman was rescued and taken to hospital.
The extent of his injuries is currently unknown.
The Independent’s Rachel Sharp has the full story:
A woman rescued as post-tropical cyclone Fiona washed homes into the sea in Canada
Eight to 12 homes along the shores of Newfoundland’s southwestern tip are believed to have been swept out to sea since Fiona entered the area on Saturday.
Zoe Tidman September 25, 2022 11:12 am
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Troops sent to help with cleanup
Canadian troops are being sent to help recover from the devastation of Storm Fiona, which swept away homes, ripped off roofs and cut power in the country’s Atlantic provinces.
Anita Anand, the defense minister, said they would help clear fallen trees and other debris, restore transport links and do whatever is necessary for as long as it takes.
Zoe Tidman September 25, 2022 10:41 am
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ICYMI: JetBlue flights fly over Hurricane Fiona
A JetBlue flight took off Monday from Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, for Newark, New Jersey Airport.
Normally, there would be nothing unusual about this, except that the plane ended up flying directly into the swirling and powerful winds of Hurricane Fiona.
The flight path took the plane near the top of the hurricane’s clouds as it returned to the United States, threatening severe turbulence, according to The Washington Post.
The Independent’s Ethan Freedman has the full story:
Rachel Sharp September 25, 2022 10:30 am
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Justin Trudeau holds an incident response meeting
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau held an incident response meeting with government officials about Post-Tropical Cyclone Fiona on Saturday morning.
Trudeau tweeted about the meeting Saturday afternoon and promised to send resources to the affected areas.
“I am thinking of everyone affected by Hurricane Fiona – I want you to know that we are here for you,” he said.
“I convened an incident response team meeting with Minister @BillBlair and officials this morning. Our government stands ready to support the provinces with additional resources.”
Rachel Sharp September 25, 2022 9:30 am
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State of local emergency declared in the regional municipality of Cape Bretó
A local state of emergency was declared in the Cape Breton Regional Municipality.
“There are homes that have been severely damaged from downed trees, big old trees that come down and have caused significant damage,” Mayor Amanda McDougall told The Associated Press. “We’re also seeing houses with roofs completely ripped off, windows broken. There’s a lot of debris on the roads.”
Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston said roads were washed out, including his own, and said an “unbelievable” amount of trees had been blown down. “It’s pretty devastating,” Houston said.
Peony Hirwani25 September 2022 09:00
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Why hurricanes in Canada are rare
It is quite rare for hurricanes to affect Canada.
This is because storms tend to lose energy when they reach colder waters.
Fiona was downgraded from a hurricane to a post-tropical cyclone on Friday afternoon, before it made landfall in Canada.
However, post-tropical cyclones can still have hurricane-force winds that can flatten communities in their path.
Rachel Sharp September 25, 2022 8:30 am