Storm Lee hits Canada's Nova Scotia with high winds and heavy rains, one killed
Storm Lee made landfall late Saturday afternoon in Nova Scotia, Canada, at near-hurricane strength, but not before it brought high winds, rough surf and torrential rains to a large swath of New England and Maritime Canada, toppling trees, swamping coastlines, cutting power to tens of thousands and claiming one life. With sustained winds of 70 mph (110 kph), the center of the post-tropical cyclone came ashore about 135 miles (215 kilometers) west of Halifax, the capital of Nova Scotia, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center.
That’s about 50 miles (80 kilometers) southeast of Eastport, Maine, U.S. weather officials said. The storm was expected to weaken as it moves into New Brunswick and the Gulf of St.
Lawrence, forecasters said. In the United States, a tropical storm warning was in effect for a 230-mile (370-kilometer) stretch from Portsmouth, New Hampshire, to the eastern end of Maine. That included Bar Harbor, the touristy gateway to Acadia National Park, where a whale watch vessel broke free of its mooring and crashed ashore in front of the College of the Atlantic.
Authorities said the Maine Department and Environmental Protection and the Coast Guard were working to offload 1,800 gallons of diesel fuel to prevent it from spilling into the ocean. Lee flooded coastal roads and boats in Nova Scotia, knocked down power lines and trees, and took ferries out of service as it fanned anxiety in a region still reeling from wildfires and severe flooding this summer. Nova Scotia’s largest airport, Halifax Stanfield International, had no incoming or outgoing flights scheduled Saturday.
“People are exhausted. ... It’s so much in such a small time period," said Pam Lovelace, a councilor in Halifax, the capital.
Read more on livemint.com
