East Coast recovering from Tropical Storm Fiona
Mikaela Delos Santos, News Editor
The Maritimes continue to recover from the hurricane-turned-tropical-storm Fiona that ravaged the East Coast provinces when it made landfall on the evening of Sept. 24. According to CBC News, 700 Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) personnel were deployed to the East Coast to help out in the recovery phases of the affected region.
In an interview with CBC News, Defence Minister Anita Anand says that restoring power is the main priority for CAF since more than 100,000 citizens in the region are still without electricity. Anand also adds that more than 900 wellness checks were conducted in Port aux Basques and other nearby communities in Newfoundland.
In Prince Edward Island (P.E.I.), the iconic Teacup Rock was swept away by the storm as reported by CBC News. The news outlet also reports that the hurricane left Brackley Beach in P.E.I. National Park with major damages that left the beach’s sand dunes dangerously unstable.
Minister of Infrastructure Dominic LeBlanc says that the government needs to move quickly with relief programs and assistance for those affected in the province.
“We have some money available now around disaster mitigation and adaptation. This is a direct line to climate change .. and to these atmospheric events,” LeBlanc says.
Meanwhile in Nova Scotia, the provincial government is offering support to residents, small businesses and non-profits affected by the storm. This includes $100 for homes that lost power to cover cost for spoiled foods, $250 for tree removal on properties, additional $250 on top of the $750 Seniors Care Grant, and $1000 in emergency funding for families and residents that are not able to go back to their homes yet.
