Officials in Canada’s Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island are urging those in the path of the storm to be on high alert and prepare for the impact of Hurricane Fiona, which has already killed at least five people and cut power to millions this week.
Loehr said residents should prepare for damaging winds, high waves, coastal storms and torrential rain that could lead to prolonged power outages. Emergency officials encouraged people to secure outdoor materials, trim trees, charge cell phones, and set up a 72-hour emergency kit.
The area hasn’t experienced a storm of this intensity in nearly 50 years, according to Chris Fogarty, director of the Canadian Hurricane Center.
“Please take it seriously because we see the meteorological numbers in our weather maps that rarely appear here,” Fogarty said.
Utility company Nova Scotia Power activated an Emergency Operations Center (EOC) Friday morning that will serve as the central coordination area for outage recovery and response, according to a press release.
The company will also work closely with the Nova Scotia Office of Emergency Management.
“We are taking every precaution and will be prepared to respond to Hurricane Fiona as safely and efficiently as possible,” Sean Borden, Nova Scotia Power Storm Command Coordinator, said in the statement.
Robert Shackleford, a CNN meteorologist, explained: “Once Fiona passes Bermuda, the storm is expected to affect Nova Scotia by Saturday afternoon. Fiona will be extratropical before impact, but that won’t do much to impede the damage Fiona will cause.” .
Across Canada’s Atlantic Ocean, winds can be around 100 mph (160 km/h) as Fiona makes landfall in Nova Scotia, Shackleford said.
In Canada, Nova Scotia hurricane warnings are from Hubbards to Brule and in Newfoundland from Parson Pond to Francois. Prince Edward Island and Isle de la Madeleine are also under warnings.
Prince Edward Island officials are pleading with residents to prepare for the worst as the storm approaches.
Tania Mullally, who serves as the county’s emergency management chief, said one of the most pressing concerns with Fiona is the historic storm that is expected to unleash her.
She added that the northern part of the island will bear the brunt of the storm due to the direction of the winds, which is likely to cause property damage and coastal flooding.
Power outages continue in Fiona
Earlier this week, Fiona damaged homes and overturned critical power and water infrastructure for millions of people across Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, and Turks and Caicos.
The mass blackout is happening because most of Puerto Rico is experiencing extreme temperatures, causing temperatures to soar to 112 degrees Thursday afternoon, according to the National Weather Service.
Daniel Hernandez, director of renewable energy projects at LUMA, explained that critical places including hospitals will be prioritized before repairs begin at the individual level.
“This is a normal process,” Hernandez said. “The important thing is for everyone to be calm… We’re working to ensure 100% of customers get service as quickly as possible.”
As of Wednesday, more than 800 people were housed in dozens of shelters across the island, according to Puerto Rico’s Minister of Housing, William Rodriguez.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency said President Joe Biden has agreed to declare a major disaster for the US mainland. The move allows residents to obtain grants for temporary housing and home repair as well as low-interest loans to cover uninsured property losses.
In the Dominican Republic, Fiona affected 8,708 families and destroyed 2,262 homes, according to the country’s head of emergency operations, Major General Juan Mendes Garcia.
He said more than 210,000 homes and stores were still in the dark Thursday morning, and another 725,246 customers were without running water.
“It was an incredible thing we hadn’t seen before,” Ramona Santana in Higuay, Dominican Republic, told CNN en Español this week. “We’re on the streets with nothing, no food, no shoes, no clothes, just what’s on your back… We don’t have anything. We have God, and hopefully help will come.”
Fiona also threatened parts of the Turks and Caicos Islands Tuesday, and areas of the British territory remained without power earlier this week, namely in Greater Turks, South Caicos, Salt Cay, North Caicos and Central Caicos, according to Anya Williams, the acting governor of the territory. carrots.
CNN’s Alison Chenchar, Melissa Alonso, Anna Melgar Zuniga, and Amanda Musa contributed to this report.
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