Trudeau to survey Fiona harm as residents battle blackouts By Reuters

By John Morris

PORT AUX BASQUES, Newfoundland (Reuters) -Prime Minister Justin Trudeau plans to go to Canada’s storm-ravaged jap provinces as quickly as this week, as hundreds of residents have been nonetheless with out energy greater than two days after storm Fiona swept houses into the ocean and left a minimum of one individual useless.

Fiona was one of many worst storms to hit Canada, and authorities officers have mentioned it may take months earlier than infrastructure may very well be totally restored. The military has been despatched to Nova Scotia to assist with rescue and clean-up efforts, with different impacted provinces together with Newfoundland and Labrador and Prince Edward Island being supplied federal help.

“The storm has handed … and the size of the harm implies that persons are nonetheless going through a tricky time,” Trudeau advised reporters in Ottawa, including there can be a whole lot of work forward within the coming days and months to scrub up and rebuild.

“I can be visiting the affected areas as quickly as attainable this week,” he added.

He was talking hours after assembly a contingent of Hydro Ottawa utility employees earlier than they left for Nova Scotia, the place about 175,000 prospects, or about 33% of complete prospects, are with out energy.

Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston introduced over C$40 million ($29.1 million) in help to assist those that have been impacted by Fiona, together with C$100 to households that misplaced energy for greater than 48 hours and C$250 to households that have to pay for tree or particles elimination.

“Nova Scotians have been ready for 72 hours with out energy … however many weren’t prepared for the prolonged points that we’re seeing previous 72 hours,” Houston mentioned at a briefing.

A couple of thousand employees have been on the bottom and extra have been coming to assist with electrical energy restoration work, Matt Drover, storm lead at Nova Scotia Energy mentioned.

“That is the most important mobilization that we’ve got accomplished in our firm’s historical past,” Drover mentioned at a briefing.

Fiona additionally slammed into Canada’s fishing and farm industries, smashing wharves, meals processing vegetation and barns that can take months to restore.

Lack of energy had resulted in lengthy queues to fill fuel at stations which might be functioning, social media pictures confirmed, forcing closure of many public colleges and authorities workplaces on Monday.

Port aux Basques in Newfoundland was one of many worst affected by the storm, and Mayor Brian Button, described the state of affairs “like a whole conflict zone.” Greater than 20 houses have been destroyed and greater than 200 individuals want shelter. The price of damages “is within the hundreds of thousands (of {dollars}) right here now,” Button advised Reuters on Sunday.

“Photos don’t painting the utter devastation on this space,” mentioned Rural Financial Growth Minister Gudie Hutchings. “I’ve been on the bottom this morning and it’s coronary heart wrenching and intestine wrenching.”

($1 = 1.3732 Canadian {dollars})