Hurricane Kyle hits Canadian East Coast with a Bang

Emergency and power crews in parts of Atlantic Canada were at work Sunday evening trying to restore electricity as tropical storm Kyle swirled into the Maritimes, its high winds toppling power lines.

Kyle went ashore just north of Yarmouth, N.S. at around 9 p.m. AT as a marginal Category 1 hurricane, according to the Canadian Hurricane Centre, based in Dartmouth, N.S., downing trees and causing power outages.

As it moved north toward New Brunswick and was downgraded to a tropical storm, winds with gusts up to 110 km/h over exposed areas could still cause damage, the Hurricane Centre warned.

Nova Scotia Power said as of 11 p.m. ET some 24,000 customers were without power while another 10,000 has seen their power restored.

"We're seeing trees bringing down lines, whole trees topple over, we're seeing high winds," said Glennie Langille of Nova Scotia Power.

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"We are doing as much work as we can within the conditions that we have," she said, mentioning that work had to stop whenever winds topped 90 km/h. "We've been working throughout the storm when it is safe to do so."

Dennis Kelly of Nova Scotia's Emergency Management Office said damage from the storm was not as widespread as had been feared.

NB Power meanwhile was reporting some 700 customers without power across New Brunswick as the storm moved toward the province.

The storm was expected to bring significant rainfall to most of New Brunswick where rainfall advisories have been posted, warning of 50 to 100 millimetres of rain falling in a short period of time, threatening to cause some flooding.

As of 11 p.m. AT the Hurricane Centre said tropical storm warnings were in effect for several southern New Brunswick and Nova Scotia regions, including Moncton, Saint John, Lunenburg, Shelburne, Yarmouth and Digby counties and the Bay of Fundy area.

Nova Scotia Power had put its crews on alert "right across the province" and had enlisted extra contract crews to help out in the event of widespread outages, said spokeswoman Margaret Murphy.

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"The forecast shows a large severe weather system headed our way," she said. "Certainly experience shows it's best to be prepared, so we prepare for the worst and hope for the best."

Murphy said the company had been putting particular emphasis on beefing up crews in the southwestern shores of Nova Scotia, where Kyle was forecast to hit land, with wind speeds roaring at up to 130 kilometres an hour.

New Brunswick power authorities were making similar preparations.

Kyle reached hurricane strength late Saturday as it swept through and soaked New England.

As the storm reached the Maritimes, it was expected be either a "strong tropical storm or a marginal Category 1 hurricane," according to Canadian weather bulletins.

Aside from the high winds, "dangerously high" water levels and waves are expected, particularly in the coastal regions under warning.

New Brunswick residents were warned to expect heavy rain of up to 100 millimetres and localized flash flooding. Water levels in various Nova Scotia counties, such as Yarmouth, were expected to exceed a metre above normal levels.

Combined with "dangerous rough tides," this is all expected to lead to shoreline erosion and damage to coastal roads, docks and buildings.

The Canadian Red Cross issued a warning earlier for people to be prepared in the event of a major storm. Bill Lawlor, director of disaster management for the Red Cross in Atlantic Canada, said in a statement the Red Cross is placing its 650 disaster volunteers and 15 emergency response teams throughout the Maritimes on standby.

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In anticipation of flooding and power outages, the Emergency Measures Organization in New Brunswick told the public to stock up on enough food, water and batteries to last three days. But Andy Morton, deputy director of the organization, says it's hard to tell how seriously the warnings were being taken.

"Well it's Sunday," he said. "I hope they are listening, and we hope they are heeding (the warnings) and time will tell."

"If you don't prepare and you get flooded, or your power is out, you will be disadvantaged," he added.


The spokesman said the impact of the storm could be similar to the devastation wrought by the ice storm of 1998. _Kyle is the 11th named storm this season in the Atlantic.

The hurricane already drenched Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and Caribbean island of Hispaniola Saturday. Authorities in Puerto Rico said at least four people were killed and scores of homes were flooded.

Kyle is expected to hit Canada five years to the day after Hurricane Juan cut a swath of damage along Nova Scotia's East Coast. Between Sept. 28-29, Juan caused $100 million in damage as it unleashed winds of up to 176 km/h through Halifax Harbour, across Nova Scotia, and throughout Prince Edward Island.

The hurricane killed two people and nearly flattened Halifax's historic Point Pleasant Park, felling 70 per cent of the park's trees.