'We were pretty lucky': Winnipegger in Halifax recounts Fiona's wrath
As a Winnipegger living in Halifax, Justin Cross says he didn't know what to expect as post-tropical storm Fiona pummelled Atlantic Canada.
This is Cross' third year living in Halifax while attending school at Dalhousie University, and he says he has never experienced anything like he has in the past 24 hours.
"My family in Winnipeg was sending the articles of you know all the news saying it's going to be Canada's worst storm and stuff and they were kind of freaking out more than me," he told CTV News from his home in Halifax.
He said around 10 p.m. Friday night, he started to hear the winds howling.
"We looked outside and we started seeing some trees swaying a lot. And then we were all in our kitchen at around 12 and we just heard this big bang," he said.
One of the trees right in front of his house had blown over and crushed a neighbour's truck.
The aftermath of post-tropical storm Fiona in Halifax on Sept. 24, 2022. (Source: Justin Cross)
"The winds, how strong they were, I've never experienced anything like that," he said.
Fiona, one of the strongest storms to ever strike Eastern Canada, forced towns in Cape Breton and on Newfoundland's southwestern coast to declare states of emergency.
At the Halifax Stanfield International Airport wind gusts of 109 km/h were reported around 3 a.m., hitting 135 km/h at the mouth of Halifax Harbour.
READ MORE: N.L. woman missing after Fiona sweeps homes into sea, wreaks havoc across East Coast
"Waking up this morning I just went for a drive and the roads were covered. People were helping as much as they can, like cutting down branches," he said, adding no one in his area was injured.
Cross said as of Saturday, most of Halifax is without power and may be in the dark for a few days.
The aftermath of post-tropical storm Fiona in Halifax on Sept. 24, 2022. (Source: Justin Cross)
"Hopefully, we'll have enough food to get by, but some rough conditions in Halifax right now."
He said he spoke with his family Saturday morning to let them know he was okay.
"We luckily just got the outskirts of it," he said. "I think we were pretty lucky in the overall picture of things, but it definitely could have been worse."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
'State or state-sponsored actor' believed to be behind B.C. government hacks
The head of British Columbia’s civil service has revealed that a “state or state-sponsored actor” is behind multiple cyber-security incidents against provincial government networks.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
Mother assaulted by stranger while breastfeeding baby in her car: Vancouver police
A person was arrested in East Vancouver Thursday after allegedly entering a car while a mother was breastfeeding her four-month-old boy.
More than half the Canadians once detained in Syrian camps for suspected ISIS family members have returned home
A total of 29 Canadians have been freed from detention camps in northeast Syria and brought back to Canada since human rights advocates began lobbying for their release years ago.
Rare severe solar storm Friday could bring spectacular aurora light show across Canada
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
Canada abstains from Palestinian UN membership vote but supports two-state solution
Canada was one of 25 countries that abstained from a United Nations vote on Palestinian membership that passed with overwhelming support on Friday.
Amish youth experience a rite of passage called Rumspringa. It’s not what you might think
The idea of “Rumspringa” has a specific spot in the American imagination. A rite of passage for young people in some Amish communities, Rumspringa is seen by most outsiders as a wild time away from strict Amish rules, when teenagers can experiment with the modern vices of the world.
Djokovic needs medical attention after getting knocked on the head by a water bottle at Italian Open
Novak Djokovic needed medical attention after apparently getting knocked on the head by a water bottle after a win at the Italian Open on Friday.