A fierce storm continuing across Newfoundland and Labrador on Tuesday left more than 9,000 residents without power and forced some families in the southern Avalon community of Trepassey to evacuate their homes, all while a fish plant burned to the ground.
Mayor Wanda Waddleton told CBC News on Tuesday that two families living in the lower shore area of the community were evacuated for safety reasons and more could be waiting.
“The water is starting to come in through the breakwater or the seawall…Right now, we’re open to the sea,” Waddleton said, adding that 29 residents live in the area, many of whom are seniors.
“They could be cut off from the rest of the port in a few hours, but hopefully, when the winds die down, we can clear it again. But if there is too much damage, it could be days where we could be separated.”
The city’s breakwater was damaged during a storm in 2024 and has not yet been repaired.
Winds in Trepassey reached gusts of 143 km/h early Tuesday afternoon, according to CBC meteorologist Ashley Brauweiler.
The Santa María fish plant catches fire
Some of the strongest winds have been recorded at Cape St. Mary’s. Meteorologist Rodney Barney said the maximum gust through 7:30 pm NT was 172 km/h.
Community fire crews had to act quickly when a fire was reported at the town’s fishery plant. Mayor Steve Ryan said the structure was destroyed before crews could reach it.
Earlier in the evening, Ryan told CBC News that the winds were like nothing he had seen before.
“My front bedroom window is covered in branches and brambles, and my window is warped,” she said. “I have two large windows in the front of my house and they actually move back and forth.”
Ryan said water also entered the city’s abandoned fish sauce plant, which still contains product but hasn’t operated in two decades, creating a rancid smell.
The city has secured funding to clean up the plant, but Ryan said they are not far enough along in the process to begin that work. Therefore, the sauce remains in the building.
“If the water got too high tonight, it could take the building away. And the building will fall into the ocean with 110 vats of sauce that is apparently deadly to fish,” he said, referring to a 2016 Environment Canada report that shared test results of effluent from the abandoned facility and described it as “extremely lethal” to fish.
Storm causes massive blackouts
Elsewhere, the risk of coastal flooding continues from the eastern Burin Peninsula to the southern Avalon Peninsula.
Severe weather conditions have caused power outages across the island. More than 9,000 Newfoundland Power customers were without power as of 6:45 pm NT on Tuesday.
Police have advised residents to drive at reduced speeds and with extreme caution, as the risk of hydroplaning increases, or to stay off the roads altogether.
Brauweiler said the rain is expected to stop in some areas, but the low pressure system approaching the island creates a risk of significant winds and storm surge.
“This will essentially continue as we go through the night tonight, along with some really windy conditions as well,” Brauweiler said.
“Those winds will blow between 80 and 100 km/h for Avalon, the really eastern parts of the island. And we could see wind gusts up to 120, even 130 km/h for the southern parts of the island.”
Environment Canada issued several weather alerts for the province due to expected strong winds and rain, as well as coastal flooding statements for southern Avalon, Burgeo to the western side of the Burin Peninsula and the northeast coast from Exploits Bay to the Bonavista Peninsula.
A storm surge warning was also issued for south of the Burin Peninsula to Placentia Bay, including south of Avalon.
CBC meteorologist Ashley Brauweiler has the latest details on a fierce storm that will hit parts of Newfoundland and bring risk of coastal flooding to a stretch of the province.
A storm surge could also be seen Wednesday and into Thursday along the northeast coast.
“As we approach high tide, which is between 6 and 8 p.m. tonight, there is a chance for some storm surge along with some pretty strong winds. Some of the models have nine to 12 meter waves breaking on the shoreline,” Brauweiler said.
Most of the province will receive between 30 and 50 mm of rain, but it is snowing in central and western Newfoundland.
Environment Canada issued a snowfall warning for parts of central, western and northern Newfoundland shortly after 5:30 p.m. NT on Tuesday.
Areas on higher ground could see up to 20cm, while lower lying areas could see a mix of snow and rain.
Parts of southern and eastern Labrador are also under a special weather statement that is expected to last from Tuesday night until Thursday. Rain is expected with strong northwesterly winds, with the worst conditions expected on Thursday, according to Environment Canada.
Roads getting hit
Verna Hayward, mayor of St. Vincent’s-St. Stephen’s-Peter’s River, on the southern tip of the Avalon Peninsula, said the town experienced strong winds and rain over the course of Tuesday.
He said one of the main concerns is what the strong surf could do to local roads and carriageway, which has already been tested in recent days.
“Over the weekend, the sea came onto the beach, onto the road, in two places,” Hayward told CBC News on Tuesday.
“The sea is very powerful, so I don’t know, we just hope and pray that we don’t lose our way.”
Lamaline Mayor Don Collins, located on the southern Burin Peninsula, said the area is also bracing for impact. Some residents were without power this afternoon.
The city recently completed a new coastal protection area following damage sustained during Hurricane Larry in 2021.
“[With] “I suppose this increase will be tested,” Collins said.
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