Hugh: Post-Tropical Storm Fiona Named Canada’s Top Weather Event of 2022

If you’ve lived in Newfoundland for a while, chances are that you’ve seen some pretty extreme weather. This year, residents of southwestern Newfoundland happened to catch the biggest weather event in the country. Environment Canada recently ranked the top weather events that hit the country over the last year and post-tropical storm Fiona was number one. Back in September, Fiona caused massive destruction in the Caribbean as a Category 4 hurricane, and even though it was technically a post-tropical storm by the time it reached Atlantic Canada, it still hit hard. After pummeling the Maritimes with high winds, heavy rain, and storm surges, it made landfall in southwestern Newfoundland. Streets were flooded, entire homes were destroyed, and thousands were left without power. Some of the images from the Port Aux Basques area were truly eye-popping. Other events near the top of the list include the derecho windstorms in Ontario and Quebec, flooding in Manitoba, and a summer of dry heat across the country. Newfoundlanders will also remember the fifth-ranked weather event on this list – wildfires. While British Columbia also had their share of forest fires, the wildfires that burned in central Newfoundland were the province’s worst in over 60 years, prompting a state of emergency.