The United States National Hurricane Center (NHC) reported that Fiona had sustained winds of almost 205 km per hour and was expected as “a powerful hurricane” when making landfall on Saturday night.
“It’s certainly going to be a historic extreme event in eastern Canada,” Canadian Hurricane Center meteorologist Bob Robichaud told reporters.
“It’s a major hurricane…All of its strength is trapped within the storm, so it’s actually very hard for the winds to die down.”
Nova Scotia authorities issued an emergency alert announcing possible power outages and warning people to stay home with enough groceries for at least 72 hours.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the storm could “have a significant impact throughout the entire region.”
In Halifax, the capital of Nova Scotia, residents stocked up on propane camping gas cylinders at stores, which ran out of stock.
“Hopefully it’ll slow down when it hits cooler waters, but it doesn’t look like it’s going to,” Dave Buis of the Northern Yacht Club told Canadian television.
– Strong impact in Puerto Rico –
Bermuda authorities asked residents to stay indoors as strong winds hit the British mainland with gusts of more than 100 mph.
Fiona caused no casualties or major damage as it passed some 100 miles west of the country, but it did leave 15,000 of its 36,000 homes without power, according to power company Belco.
The Royal Bermuda Regiment (homeland defense) and Belco said they were waiting for the winds to die down before clearing roads and restoring power.
“This morning (it is) very windy outside. We had some minor damage to the premises, but nothing serious,” Jason Rainer, owner of a souvenir shop in the capital, Hamilton, told AFP.
Bermuda, a territory of about 64,000 inhabitants, is used to hurricanes, but it is one of the most remote places in the world, located 1,030 km from its closest neighbor, the United States, which makes any evacuation in an emergency almost impossible. .
Bermuda, whose economy is fueled by tourism and international finance, is wealthy compared to its Caribbean neighbors, and its structures have been built for centuries to withstand storms.
Fiona caused four deaths in Puerto Rico, a US territory, according to an official quoted by the media. In addition, one deceased was reported in Guadeloupe, an overseas department of France, and two in the Dominican Republic.
The president of the United States, Joe Biden, declared a state of emergency in Puerto Rico, which is still struggling to recover from Hurricane Maria five years ago.
In the Dominican Republic, President Luis Abinader declared a state of natural disaster in three eastern provinces.
