Category 3 Hurricane Fiona is forecast to approach northeastern Canada later today, making landfall early Saturday, after it swept past Bermuda on Friday.
Authorities in Bermuda opened shelters and closed schools and offices ahead of Fiona. Premier David Burt sent a tweet urging residents to “take care of yourself and your family. Let’s all remember to check on as well as look out for your seniors, family, and neighbors.”
As of 11:P00 a.m. EDT, the National Hurricane Center places Fiona about 700 miles (970 kilometers) south of Halifax, Nova Scotia. Fiona has sustained winds of 130 mph (215 kph), and is moving to the northeast at 35 mph 56 kph). The minimum central pressure is 936 MB – 27.64 inches.
According to CBC Canada, areas of eastern Nova Scotia and P.E.I. are likely to experience the most severe winds with gusts of 120 to 140 km/h or higher. This will especially be problematic given the long duration of this event.
With the trees in full leaf, gusts in the 70 to 100 km/h range are also likely to cause some power outages for areas further west.
Nova Scotia, PEI, and western Newfoundland could see rain totals as high as 3 to 6 inches (75 to 150 mm), with local maximum amounts of up to 10 inches (250 mm), and there is a risk for flash flooding and washouts.
CBC meteorologist Ryan Snoddon says it won’t be a Category 4 hurricane by the time it makes landfall in Atlantic Canada, but a hurricane-strength post-tropical storm.
Needless to say, the storm will be massive, bringing widespread damaging gusts of 100 km/h or higher. High tide coinciding with the strong winds and storm surge is likely to bring coastal flooding to some areas.
“It’s going to be a storm that everyone remembers when it is all said and done,” said Bob Robichaud, warning preparedness meteorologist for the Canadian Hurricane Centre, according to C TV News Canada.
Fiona so far has been blamed for at least five deaths — two in Puerto Rico, two in the Dominican Republic, and one in the French island of Guadeloupe.
