Fiona, now a post-tropical cyclone after a destructive run as a hurricane, made landfall in Atlantic Canada early Saturday with hurricane-force winds and heavy rain. Forecasters warn the storm may be one of the strongest on record to hit the region.
A hurricane warning is in effect for Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, The Magdalen Islands and the coast of Newfoundland, where Fiona is forecast to bring heavy rain, "powerful hurricane force winds," coastal flooding, "rough and pounding surf," and large, destructive waves likely to cause significant erosion in some areas, according to the The Canadian Hurricane Centre.
The center called Fiona a "historic storm for eastern Canada" and a "potential landmark weather event" in a region where hurricanes are relatively rare. Many storms weaken when they reach colder waters.
Fiona is forecast to maintain hurricane-force winds until Saturday afternoon, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center. It is expected to gradually weaken in the next few days.
The storm is expected to dump 3 to 6 inches of rain on the region with local maximums of up to 10 inches in some areas, the U.S. center forecast. Forecasters also warned Fiona could bring widespread power outages, and more than 400,000 Nova Scotia Power customers were without power Saturday morning, the company reported.
Fiona is forecast to maintain hurricane-force winds until Saturday afternoon, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center. It is expected to gradually weaken in the next few days.
The storm is expected to dump 3 to 6 inches of rain on the region with local maximums of up to 10 inches in some areas, the U.S. center forecast. Forecasters also warned Fiona could bring widespread power outages, and more than 400,000 Nova Scotia Power customers were without power Saturday morning, the company reported.
At least five people have died after Hurricane Fiona — two in Puerto Rico, two in the Dominican Republic and one in the French island of Guadeloupe.
Fiona makes landfall in Canada
Fiona made landfall in Canada early Saturday morning with sustained winds of up to 100 mph, the equivalent of a Category 2 hurricane, according to AccuWeather.
AccuWeather meteorologists forecast that Fiona may become "one of the strongest storms on record" in eastern Canada.
“This could be the storm of a lifetime for some people,” AccuWeather Chief Meteorologist Jonathan Porter said.
The storm is the "lowest pressured land falling storm on record in Canada," according to the Canadian Hurricane Centre. Typically, the farther barometric pressure drops, the stronger the storm will be.