‘Unprecedented’ blizzard prompts state of emergency in parts of Newfoundland
Capital shuts down as residents prepare for up to 75 centimetres of snow
ST. JOHN’S, N.L. — Newfoundland and Labrador’s capital shut down on Friday as blizzard conditions descended on the city and residents prepared for an intense storm expected to last until Saturday.
The City of St. John’s declared a state of emergency, ordering businesses closed and vehicles off the roads. The nearby towns of Mount Pearl, Paradise, Torbay and Portugal Cove-St. Philip’s followed suit shortly afterwards.
Environment Canada has issued blizzard and wind warnings for much of Newfoundland, with the heaviest snow expected in the Avalon and Bonavista peninsulas, where strong winds and blowing snow may cause whiteout conditions until Saturday. The agency advised of possible damage to shingles or windows on buildings and advised people store objects that could be tossed by the wind and cause more damage.
Residents had been told to prepare for an expected 40 to 75 centimetres of snow. By 12:30 p.m., 33 centimetres had already been recorded at St. John’s International Airport since 5 a.m., according to Environment Canada meteorologist David Neil. He said 20 centimetres had fallen within two hours.
“It’s been very nasty in St. John’s so far and it’s expected to just continue,” Neil said from Gander, where high winds and snow had started to intensify by early afternoon.
By mid-morning in St. John’s, snow was blowing in all directions and city streets were all but abandoned. The provincial government said plows were being taken off highways in the Avalon peninsula due to dangerous conditions, and advised people to avoid travel.
The Royal Newfoundland Constabulary said its officers were on call and available to respond to emergencies in St. John’s. A spokesman advised people to stay off the roads if possible and prepare for power outages, with flashlights, food and water on hand.
“This is an unprecedented kind of event, this is easily on pace for a record snowfall,” Cadigan said.
He reminded residents to keep in contact with elderly neighbours and to continuously stay in contact with people if travelling in case of an emergency.
“It’s going to be about the whole community working together here to keep everybody safe.” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau tweeted his support to Newfoundland and Labrador residents on Friday afternoon. He said Public Safety Minister Bill Blair was in touch with provincial authorities and monitoring the storm, saying “we’re ready to help if needed.” “To everyone in NL affected by the storm, please listen to your local authorities. We want you to stay safe, and keep the roads clear for emergency vehicles and snow clearing,” Trudeau’s tweet read. Newfoundland Power reported a number of weather-related outages in parts of the Avalon and Burin peninsulas Friday afternoon, including parts of St. John’s, Mount Pearl, Bell Island and other coastal towns.
The utility said impassable roads were preventing crews from accessing the outage areas. The company said extreme winds later Friday could cause momentary outages.
Neil, the meteorologist, said 19.6 centimetres of snow had been recorded in St. Lawrence on the Burin Peninsula, adding the estimate could be lower than the actual snowfall.