Trudeau pledges support for storm-lashed towns

Reuters Videos
1 年前

STORY: “The storm has passed, but thousands of people are still without power…”

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Monday pledged the government was dedicated to repairing the devastation that the powerful storm Fiona caused and offered his condolences to those who lost a loved one.

“Canadians are thinking of you in this difficult times.”

“Absolute chaos, to put it simply. It’s the most surreal experience of my life. Never seen anything like it.”

Greg Cook is a volunteer firefighter who witnessed the onslaught of the storm in the seaside town of Port Aux Basques, Newfoundland.

“Yeah, we watched a house over here [points to rubble-strewn cove] just completely get ripped off its foundation by a wave. And there was actually a house behind me, right where we’re standing, and that’s completely gone now and we watched that one just completely disappear.”

Police said that in this town of just over 4,000 residents, more than 20 homes were destroyed and more than 200 people needed shelter.

More than a third of customers in the province of Nova Scotia were without power on Monday. Schools and government offices in the hard-hit areas were closed. Trudeau ordered the Canadian armed forces the help with clean-up and rescue efforts.