HURRICANE KYLE Continues to Blow Towards New Brunswick

Southern New Brunswick and southwestern Nova Scotia were battening down Sunday in anticipation of Kyle, the 11th named storm of the current hurricane season.

Kyle's track was expected to bring it ashore near Point Lepreau, N.B., just west of the city of Saint John late Sunday or early Monday.

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"Our forecasts have the storm reaching new Brunswick at sub-hurricane strength," said Peter Bowyer of the Canadian Hurricane Centre.

He said current data suggests it will be post tropical when it hits but there was still the possibility Kyle could be a marginal category 1 storm with winds gusting to 120 kilometres an hour.

"The point we really want to stress is that the difference in strength between a category 1 hurricane and something a little bit less than that isn't really a lot," said Bowyer in commenting on the system's potential for causing damage.

Emergency Measures officials in New Brunswick were concerned that those living inland and away from the Bay of Fundy coast were not taking the storm warnings seriously enough.

"We're talking to people on the street and they're shrugging this off," said spokesman Ernie MacGillvray, noting the system is hundreds of kilometres wide.

"They need to understand there's going to be a whole bunch of impact and it could be a few days before phones and power is restored. So they need to be self-sufficient for two or three days."

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All of New Brunswick is under a rain warning while wind warnings have been issued for new Brunswick's Bay of Fundy coastline and most of Nova Scotia.

Heather-Anne McLean of NB Power said repair crews were on standby and neighbouring utilities have been called to assist if needed.

"Essentially we're in a wait and see stage right now but we are prepared," said McLean.

"We have to keep in mind with all the trees still having their leaves the wind could cause some issues around power lines."

Bill Lawlor of the New Brunswick Red Cross said they were checking equipment and supplies to meet any need that might arise.

He was urging area residents to do the same.

"For instance do you have pets? Do you have enough pet food? Do you have someone on medication? Do you have enough medication to get by for the next few days?"

Lawlor said households should have enough food and other supplies to carry a family through 72-hours.

That includes making sure there's cash on hand because any extended power outages would leave automated banking machines off line.

A hurricane watch was posted for Yarmouth, Shelburne and Digby Counties in southwestern Nova Scotia where there are storm surge concerns.

"For the Yarmouth area we're concerned that as the storm is passing when the tide is at its highest things could line up and give some potential grief along the coastline," said Bowyer.

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Wave heights coming in ahead of Kyle were not alarmingly high at only six to nine metres, he said.

"But if they combine with the tide they could give an effective increase at the coastline of about one metre."

Yarmouth Mayor Charles Crosby said his community was ready for Kyle and by sheer co-incidence the local emergency measures organization had scheduled a planning exercise for Sunday.

"It's been in the works for months so the EMO forces are out there today anyway so if anything does come they're prepared to go.

Crosby said some floating docks had already been taken up in advance of the storm and the usual warnings about stocking up on water and batteries had been issued to residents.

"I think people here are ready and they know what they should be doing," said Crosby.

"People here are going to ride it out. We're lucky here. The storms always seem to bypass us left or right but they know they have to be prepared."

The world will be watching as HURRICANE KYLE heads towards land in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. For LIVE WEB CAMERA VIEWS of the New Brunswick Coastline