Via CTV News: Atlantic Canada under snow, water following intense winter storm. Click through for a video and the full report. Excerpt.
A massive winter storm hit Eastern Canada on Saturday, knocking out power to thousands of residents and prompting dozens of flight cancellations.
Parts of Nova Scotia were particularly hard-hit after a storm surge caused flooding in Shelburne. Up to four feet of water gushed into the streets as emergency officials warned residents to stay away from the region.
The flooding was the worst Shelburne had seen since the 1976 Groundhog Day storm, which caused flooding of up to 1.6 metres deep, causing extensive damage to wharves, historic coastal buildings and boats.
As evening fell, there were still concerns that high tide combined with 70-80 km/h winds would bring repeat flooding, causing further damage.
“As the storm passes over the next 12 to 24 hours we can assess the damage,” Kirk Cox, Shelburne’s chief administrative officer, told CTV Atlantic.
Wind gusts of up to 100 km/h hit Nova Scotia’s coast Saturday morning, downing a number of power lines and blowing the roof off at least one house.
Nova Scotia Power said 21,000 customers were without electricity early Saturday afternoon in the province's Annapolis Valley and on the South Shore. By early evening that number had been brought down to 5,000. In Moncton, N.B., 1,400 residents were left in the dark.
In Saint John, wind gusts reached between 90 and 100 km/h, causing white-outs and prompting the fire department to urge drivers to stay off the roads.
Saint John also had to contend with water issues Saturday after an underground pipe burst. As engineers restored the water supply, residents in certain areas of the city were told to boil their water as preparations were made to repair the pipe and test water quality.
