A state of local emergency was declared in Cape Breton Regional Municipality early Saturday morning as a powerful storm continues to lash the island, causing widespread power outage, road closures, and structural damage.
Post-tropical storm Fiona arrived in Nova Scotia in the early hours, and is expected to pass through Cape Breton throughout the morning before reaching Quebec Lower North Shore and Southeastern Labrador by late evening. Read more: Fiona makes landfall in Nova Scotia, leaving path of destruction CBRM said the state of emergency means residents should shelter in place. “If shelter has failed, call 911 for evacuation,” the notice to residents read.
The wind has already caused severe damage to some homes, forcing families to flee. “We’ve had several structural failures,” said Christina Lamey, a spokeswoman for the region.
She confirmed that no one was hurt. She said it was unclear how many homes had been damaged, but there were reports of collapsed walls and a missing roof. “The key message from that is for people to stay at home,” Lamey said. “The first responders are really stretched right now.