Now, officials are beginning to account for the damage caused to the area. Nova Scotia, where Fiona first made landfall in the early hours of Saturday, was hit hard by the storm. Strong winds toppled trees and power lines, washed out roads, littered neighborhoods with debris and in several cases snapped entire power poles in half, officials said. Officials are prioritizing power restoration after Fiona destroyed power lines and communications networks across the province, Premier Tim Houston said Sunday morning.
“Getting the roads cleared, giving the crews room to do what needs to be done, that’s the most important thing right now,” Houston said. “It will take time.” One person in Newfoundland has reportedly died in the storm. Houston said there have not been too many reports of serious injuries, although about 200 people are currently displaced from their homes. “The damage is significant, but right now the priority right now is getting power back to people, getting people to a safe haven, getting some, you know, back to normal,” he said. “It’s going to take time when we get out of this.” Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Saturday that the government has approved Nova Scotia’s request for federal assistance and that the Canadian Armed Forces will be deployed to help the region. The prime minister said residents had endured a “terrifying” 12 hours on Saturday. “People have seen their homes blown away, they’ve seen the winds rip off the roofs of schools,” Trudeau said. “And as Canadians, as we always do in times of trouble, we will be there for each other.” In Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, police shared images of downed power lines over buildings, downed trees blocking roads and tearing through structures. The area’s utility, Maritime Electric, said it was concerned about people walking and driving on roads where there was extensive damage from downed power lines and possible live wires.

Power outage across Nova Scotia

Several provinces were hit by the strong winds and rain, but none more so than Nova Scotia. As of Monday morning, more than 284,400 customers were still without power in Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick — including more than 190,400 in Nova Scotia, according to Poweroutage.com. Nearly three-quarters of Nova Scotia lost power as Fiona moved through, Houston said Saturday. Maximum wind gusts of 171 km/h (106 mph) were recorded in the provincial town of Arisaig on Saturday. Meanwhile, Wreckhouse in Newfoundland saw gusts of 170 km/h (105 mph). Bad weather has hampered efforts to restore power, Nova Scotia Power president and CEO Peter Gregg said Saturday. More than 900 power technicians were en route to the area, but some customers could experience power outages for several days, he said. In Nova Scotia’s capital, Halifax, strong winds uprooted trees and downed power lines, sending sparks and flickering lights. The roof of a Halifax apartment complex collapsed, forcing about 100 people to evacuate, Mayor Mike Savage told CNN on Saturday. “The size of this storm is breathtaking,” Savage later said at a Saturday news conference. “It turned out to be everything that was predicted.” Osborne Head in Nova Scotia received 192 mm (7.55 in) of rain and Crowe Brook in New Brunswick received 107 mm (4.2 in), among other heavy rainfall amounts across the provinces.

“Total war zone,” says the mayor of Port aux Basques

In Newfoundland, video showed buildings floating on water and submerged cars under heavy rain. A woman has been rescued from the water after her home collapsed, according to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. He was taken to a hospital. The extent of her injuries was not immediately known, police said. Port aux Basques, a city on the southwestern tip of Newfoundland, was also one of the hardest-hit areas, Trudeau said Saturday. “We are seeing devastating images coming out of Port aux Basques,” he said. “Obviously, as we see the images of houses falling into the sea, waves destroying property and buildings, our first thought must be for the people.” The Royal Canadian Mounted Police on Sunday recovered the body of a 73-year-old woman who had washed ashore the previous day in Port aux Basques. “The woman was last seen inside the residence moments before a wave hit the home, tearing off a portion of the basement,” police said in a statement. This is the first death attributed to Fiona in Canada. The storm claimed at least six more lives in its path — one in Guadeloupe, three in Puerto Rico and two in the Dominican Republic. First responders in Port aux Basques faced multiple electrical fires, residential flooding and washouts. “We have a total war zone here, we have devastation everywhere,” Port-au-Basque Mayor Brian Button said in a video update, warning that more storms were expected. Port aux Basques is now under a boil order and power was still out for many residents. Concrete barriers were also placed around areas made into “danger zones” by the storm, the mayor said. The Port aux Basques tide gauge recorded a maximum total water level of 2.73 meters (8.96 feet) — surpassing the previous record of 2.71 meters (8.89 feet) set in 2017, according to the Canadian Hurricane Center . CNN’s Derek Van Dam, Eric Levenson, Tina Burnside, Jason Hanna, Christina Maxouris, Hannah Sarisohn and Andy Rose contributed to this report.