EPAIn Massachusetts, people watch the high waves that Lee causes
NOS Nieuws•vandaag, 07:48
The remnants of Hurricane Lee made landfall as a tropical storm near Halifax, Canada. The severe weather is causing nuisance in coastal provinces such as Nova Scotia and New Brunswick and the New England states in the northern US.
Tens of thousands of area residents are without power. Authorities warn that it could take up to three days before all electricity is restored. Many roads have become impassable because they have been flooded or blocked by fallen trees.
Many ferries were also taken out of service due to the storm. In addition, Halifax, the largest airport in the area, canceled all flights.
At least two dead
A motorist in the US state of Maine was killed when his car was struck by a heavy tree branch on the highway. Because broken power cables had also fallen near his car, emergency services had difficulty reaching him. The 51-year-old man later died in hospital.
Two lobster fishermen were barely saved when their 12 meter long boat sank in the high waves. The two had gone out to sea to bring in lobster baskets when their boat capsized. Rescue services alerted by an automatic distress signal found the two clinging to the fuselage.
Earlier this week, a 15-year-old boy drowned in Florida. He had gone surfing in the high waves that Lee created there.
Toughest category
Hurricane Lee formed near Africa at the beginning of this month and quickly grew into a hurricane of the strongest category. However, on its journey to the northwest of the Atlantic Ocean, it weakened into a tropical storm again within a few days. This means that sustained wind speeds of above 270 kilometers per hour had weakened to around 100.
It’s not often that hurricanes make landfall this far north. Hurricane Sandy is probably the best-known example in recent years, a devastating storm that hit New York in 2012. The remnants of Hurricane Fiona also caused a lot of damage in Canada last year.
The Canadian coastal region was hit by major wildfires and severe flooding earlier this year. To the frustration of residents, the damage caused by Lee has now been added to the list. “We’ve had so much to deal with in a short time,” sighed a councilor from Halifax. “People are fed up.”
2023-09-17 05:48:13
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