Storm causes unprecedented damage in Canada, recovery takes months | NOW

The scale of damage caused by Storm Fiona in Canada is unprecedented, Canadian Emergencies Minister Bill Blair said on Sunday. He suspects it will take months to restore critical infrastructure. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has already pledged to help the military in the cleanup operations.

According to Blair, many schools and community centers need to be repaired. The roofs of many buildings were destroyed. Along the coast, many houses were swept away by high waves. Nearly half a million homes are without electricity.

The provinces of Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Prince Edward Island were hardest hit by Fiona. The “historically severe storm” has caused major nuisance in the Caribbean before.

Footage shows that entire houses in the coastal town of Port aux Basques, which has around four thousand inhabitants, disappeared into the sea on Saturday due to the storm. The mayor of the place contradicts Radio-Canada News of “total destruction”.

In Newfoundland, two women are believed to have been dragged into the sea. One woman was rescued, authorities say nothing is known about the other woman.

The storm moved with winds of up to 140 kilometers per hour over eastern Canada. As a result, entire trees were uprooted. Eyewitnesses told Canadian media “never experienced anything like it”. Prime Minister Trudeau has canceled a visit to Japan so he can travel to the affected region soon.