State of emergency declared in Port aux Basques

A state of emergency has been declared in Port aux Basques and an evacuation order has been issued for residents east of the town hall and in channel.

Wind and storm surges have caused extensive damage. That’s after the post-tropical storm Fiona made landfall in atlantic Canada this morning. Hundreds of thousands of people are without power in the maritimes, but the effects are also being felt in southwestern Newfoundland.

Homes have been damaged and destroyed because of severe storm surge, forcing people to flee. The east end is being evacuated because of fears that it will be cut off.

Newfoundland Power says conditions have deteriorated quickly in Port aux Basques with floods, road washouts and extreme weather delaying their ability to respond to outages some areas.

The RCMP says first responders are dealing with multiple electrical fires, residential floods and washouts. Residents are asked to obey evacuation orders and find a safe place to weather the storm.