Fiona slams Canada's Atlantic coast, capsizing homes

"People have seen their homes washed away, seen the winds, ripped schools, roofs off. But as Canadians, as we always do in times of difficulty, we will be there for each other," Trudeau said at a press conference.

The U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) said the centre of the storm, downgraded to Post-Tropical Cyclone Fiona, was now in the Gulf of St. Lawrence and losing some steam. The NHC cancelled hurricane and tropical storm warnings for the region.

Port aux Basques, on the southwest tip of Newfoundland with a population of 4,067, bore the brunt of the storm's rage.

The mayor was forced to declare a state of emergency and evacuated parts of the town that suffered flooding and road washouts.

Mayor Brian Buttons from Channel-Port Aux Basques in Newfoundland said he was declaring a state of emergency on Saturday after powerful storm Fiona slammed into eastern Canada. 

"My only message to you people right now is if you don't leave now, we may not be able to get you out of there when we really need to, so you need to go now." Mayor Buttons warned his citizens.

Several homes and an apartment building were dragged out to sea, Rene Roy, editor-in-chief of Wreckhouse Weekly in Port aux Basques, told the Canadian Broadcasting Corp.

“With the storm track the way it is, that puts southwestern parts of Newfoundland and Labrador right in that area of some of those extreme wind," Bob Robichaud, a meteorologist with the Canadian Hurricane Centre, said at an online briefing by officials.

"That coupled with the fact that they're wide open to the incoming surf and storm surge, that's why you're seeing what you're seeing there right now," he added.

Trudeau met on Saturday morning with members of a government emergency response team, and later told reporters that the armed forces would be deployed to help with the clean-up.

Trudeau had delayed his planned Saturday departure for Japan to attend the funeral of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe but said he now would no longer make the trip. Instead, he said he would visit 
the storm-damaged region as soon as possible.

"The last thing I want to do is displace any of the extraordinary emergency teams and authorities who are rightly focusing on everything needed on the ground," Trudeau told reporters. "But I will be out there to see people and to demonstrate that all Canadians stand with them as quickly as is responsible."

Federal assistance has already been approved for Nova Scotia, Trudeau said, and more requests are expected.

Some 79% of customers, or 414,000, were without power in Nova Scotia, and 95%, or 82,000, had lost power on Prince Edward Island, utility companies said. Police across the region reported multiple road closures. The region was also experiencing spotty mobile phone service.

Fiona, which nearly a week ago battered Puerto Rico and other parts of the Caribbean, killed at least eight and knocked out power for virtually all of Puerto Rico's 3.3 million people during a 
sweltering heat wave.

Fiona made landfall between Canso and Guysborough, Nova Scotia, where the Canadian Hurricane Centre said it recorded what may have been the lowest barometric pressure of any storm to hit land in the country's history.

Ian Hubbard, the meteorologist for the Canadian Hurricane Centre, told Reuters it appears Fiona lived up to expectations that it would be a "historical" storm.

Storms are not uncommon in the region and typically cross over rapidly, but Fiona is expected to impact a very large area.

While scientists have not yet determined whether climate change influenced Fiona's strength or behaviour, there is strong evidence that these devastating storms are getting worse.

A social media user captured Storm Fiona battering Nova Scotia on Saturday as it ripped into eastern Canada with hurricane-force winds, forcing evacuations, and knocking down trees and powerlines.

The video showed lightning forks and trees bending in the wind, as well as sparks coming from powerlines damaged in the storm.

Reuters