Insurers in Newfoundland and Labrador are on standby after the region was battered Saturday by a fierce windstorm – one so strong, Environment Canada said that the weather event is the region’s most vicious in recent years.
“This is the strongest storm we’ve seen in more than a decade,” said Environment Canada meteorologist Wanda Batten on Saturday. “It blew through three-quarters of the island today and it’s still going.”
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Homes had their sidings blown off due to the powerful gales, and the wind was even strong enough to tip over cars. Photos of the damage made the rounds on social media, The Canadian Press noted.
With many properties suffering damage from the weather event, Premier Dwight Ball has advised the affected communities to check with their insurers to best understand their policies and coverage following the windstorm.
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The premier’s statement Saturday night also warned that the storm was creating “potentially unsafe conditions in our communities,” and urged residents to exercise caution.
“I encourage residents to prepare for continued outages and stay safe until conditions improve,” Ball said.
In one homeowner’s case, the winds carried a canoe and crashed it through her bedroom like a battering ram.
“(It) just hit the side of the house. Came in right through the siding,” Theresa Power told CTV News.
The storm also knocked out power systems in several neighborhoods in the region. Newfoundland Power told The Canadian Press that about 8,600 customers were without electricity Sunday evening; the day before that, 20,000 residents suffered from power outages. The utility added that over 60,000 of the 70,000 customers affected by the outages were back on the grid, although some might still be without power today (Monday).
At St. John’s International Airport, wind speeds reached up to 158 km/hr – the equivalent of a Category Two hurricane. Flights were grounded for safety concerns. Ferry crossings in the region were also cancelled. Several roads were also closed, since the blustery conditions combined with the snow severely hampered visibility.
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