People in Halifax warned to avoid shorelines during Lee. Some didn’t listen

globalnews.ca:

aggressive winds and rain from post-tropical cyclone Lee on Saturday, dozens of people still flocked to Peggy’s Cove to watch waves rise several metres and crash onto the shoreline near the famous lighthouse.A security guard was present at the lighthouse site Saturday morning to escort people away from potentially hazardous areas near the water as waves continued to break.Earlier in the day, Halifax Regional Municipality released a statement saying that Peggy’s Cove had since been closed to the public.“Residents are advised to avoid shoreline areas as they pose an extreme risk, especially during peak tides,” the statement read.In addition to Peggy’s Cove, the Eastern Shore, and Bedford, Halifax and Dartmouth Waterfronts were all listed as areas of significant concern.Although waves continued to crash and make their way over the shoreline, not everyone decided to err on the side of caution as dozens headed to the Halifax waterfront to get a first-hand glimpse of the storm’s impact.One man decided to take it another step further by doing a flip into the harbour in a full-body swimsuit.During a news conference on Saturday afternoon, Halifax Mayor Mike Savage doubled down on calls to avoid the shorelines and urged locals to stay away from the coast.“This is no time to go wave watching,” he said, adding that seawater, downed trees, and power lines have blocked several roads in the Halifax area.“Stay away from the waters … for your own safety and the safety of first responders that might be called to assist.

I can’t stress that urgently enough.”Savage said he had seen images of people crowding around the Halifax waterfront to witness the waves crashing and described the activity as “unnecessary and dangerous.”Update 11:35 a.m.