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Severe storm
Fiona hit Nova Scotia around 4 a.m. local time. Lightning winds of 179 km/h knocked out power to residents of Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island. Saturday morning, 500,000 residents in the Laurentians were plunged into darkness. Prince Edward Island and Cape Breton declared a state of total emergency. Winds gusted to 177 km/h in Newfoundland.
In the Magdalen Islands, 35% of subscribers are currently without power, but the situation could worsen in the morning, when the heart of the system will affect the region.
This week Fiona became the first major hurricane of the season. Winds gusted to 215 km/h, which reached the Category 4 threshold on the Saffir-Simpson scale.
However, its full hurricane status is over. Fiona became an extra tropical storm shortly before it collided with the Maritimes. Despite everything, its power is considerable. Nevertheless, it continues its course towards the Gulf of St. Lawrence, touching the Magdalen Islands and the Caspian Sea early Saturday morning. The Lower North Shore risks claiming the cake for its part, but it will suffer on Saturday evening.
A very weak depression will continue its northward course and reach the Labrador Sea by Sunday afternoon.
Confusion at sea
The Atlantic provinces will be hardest hit by Fiona. It is expected to make landfall in Nova Scotia early Saturday morning as a major post-tropical storm with hurricane-force winds. That is why most of them are currently under cyclone warning. Some places including Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island could get as much as 200 mm of rain.
Gusts of up to 160 km/h are possible in highly exposed areas, causing major power outages and significant damage. These powerful winds, combined with high tides, can create waves up to 15 meters high in some areas.
Fiona in Quebec: the worst hit area
In Quebec, the area hardest hit by the remnants of Hurricane Fiona was Îles-de-la-Madeleine. The archipelago is already getting ready.
__Patrick de Bellefeuille is on the ground in the Magdalen Islands. Sea over roads! :__
Lands in eastern Quebec, including the Caspé and part of the North Shore, will be affected, but the geography of these areas will be less vulnerable to the storm’s vagaries. In general, large impacts can be expected.
strong wind
Gusts of up to 90 kmph are likely for most sectors. Madalinote Archipelago may experience gusty winds of up to 150 km/h in open areas. Such winds can cause significant property damage, especially in the electrical network. Breakdowns are possible. Hydro-Québec has sent additional teams to the islands to intervene quickly if necessary.
Light rain
Rainfall is on the radar: the Magdalen Islands could get a hundred millimeters. On the Gaspésie and lower north coast, 75 mm by Saturday evening. So there is a risk of flash flooding across eastern Quebec.
Storm surge and flooding
A higher than normal water level will create dangerous conditions near the coast. Waves of 6 to 8 meters high could rock the beach in some places, causing flooding and significant damage. You should be extra careful on the Gaspé section of Route 132, which is especially exposed to waves.
