(Photo: Prince Edward Island Government)
PEI Premier Dennis King offered reassurance during a news conference while high winds from post-tropical storm Fiona continued to batter the province Saturday afternoon.
Assessments haven’t begun yet to determine the extent of damage, which includes, downed trees and power lines, and extensive flooding, “but we know it has been devastating,” King says.
The Island received high winds of over 170 kilometres an hour, heavy rains, and coastal storm surges over two metres high.
“It(Fiona) was billed as one of the most severe storms to ever hit our province and by all accounts, Fiona has lived up to that. There is a positive though. We’ve had no reports of any significant injuries or worse. Islanders heeded the warnings it seems to be prepared, and that in itself is a blessing. And I suppose in this time of difficulty, I think it might be important for all of us to remember to count our blessings large and small,” King stated.
Over 95 percent of the Island lost power in the storm, and it could be days or longer before most homes and businesses are restored.
“We do know the extent of the damage is very extensive, quite likely the worst we’ve ever seen. Islanders know that our road to recovery will be weeks or longer. We have our teams engaged in our efforts, like other devastating things that we’ve dealt with in the past and it will be an all-hands-on-deck approach,” King added.
Sunday morning is expected to bring the calm after the storm, and King says they will be able to start to better understand the extent of the recovery efforts that will be required.
“We will summon our Island courage and strength to help us take the uncertain steps that we need to. This is a time when we need to lean on each other to look out for each other and find our way back together. And we’ve done this before. Let’s do it together.”
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