RCMP say missing N.S. man believed swept to sea by Fiona

Police in Nova Scotia say a man missing since Friday, Sept. 23 is believed to have been swept out to sea during post-tropical storm Fiona.

Halifax district RCMP say the 81-year-old Lower Prospect, N.S., resident was last seen Friday evening and a thorough search was conducted over the weekend.

They say search efforts have ended based on the belief the man entered the water.

On Sunday, Sept. 25 RCMP in western Newfoundland confirmed that a 73-year-old woman in Port aux Basques, N.L., died after a storm surge flooded her home and swept her out to sea.

The cause of death in another possible Fiona-related fatality in P.E.I. has yet to be determined, but the province’s acting director of public safety said Sunday preliminary findings pointed toward “generator use.”

There are still more than 200,000 people in Atlantic Canada without power, and it could be days before the lights are back on.

At the height of the storm on Saturday, more than 500,000 were in the dark, including 80 per cent of Nova Scotia Power’s customers and 90 per cent of P.E.I.

“We’ve been able to start getting a better look at some of those hardest-hit areas with drones and helicopters and it is reinforcing how widespread the damage is,” Matt Drover, a spokesman for Nova Scotia Power, said in a statement Monday.

At a news conference on Monday, Sept. 26 Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the Canadian Armed Forces are in the region helping to clear debris and restore power. He also said additional crews are on stand-by.

“Canadians are stepping up for each other and helping their communities get through this tough time. I will be visiting the affected regions as soon as possible this week, and I want all people in the Atlantic provinces and eastern Québec to know that we are hear for you,” Trudeau said.

Across the Maritimes, eastern Québec and in southwestern Newfoundland, the economic impact of the storm’s wrath is still being tallied.