By Canadian Press

Newfoundland reeling in wake of monster blizzard that buried St. John’s

Jan 18, 2020 | 12:00 PM

ST. JOHN’S, N.L. — Environment Canada has ended a blizzard warning for the St. John’s, N.L., area this morning but a state of emergency and storm surge warning remain in effect following a monster storm that buried the city.

The intense snowfall that brought St. John’s and many other communities to a standstill on Friday slowed overnight and according to Environment Canada was expected to end later this morning.

Blizzard and storm surge warnings remain in effect in other areas of eastern Newfoundland and Labrador including Bonavista Peninsula, Bonavista North, and Bay of Exploits.

But with more than 70 centimetres of new snow on the ground in some areas, and strong winds piling up drifts and creating white out conditions, roads were likely to remain treacherous.

There have also been widespread power outages. Overnight Newfoundland Power said its crews were working to restore electricity for about 21,000 customers.

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The City of St. John’s, as well as several nearby communities, declared states of emergency late Friday morning, ordering businesses closed and all non-emergency vehicles off the roads.

A statement issued by the City of St. John’s this morning says the state of emergency “will remain in effect until further notice.”

At the peak of the storm, which some described as being like a blizzard in a hurricane, even snowplows were pulled off roads due to near zero visibility conditions. However, plowing operations in St. John’s resumed overnight.

Air traffic in the region was also shut down yesterday, and all but a handful of flights at St. John’s International Airport remained cancelled this morning.

Municipal officials have advised residents of St. John’s to prepare emergency kits with enough supplies to last for at least 72 hours.

Authorities have also been urging residents to keep in contact with elderly neighbours and to continuously stay in touch with people if travelling in case of an emergency.

Digging out from the monster storm is likely to take several days, if not longer, and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has tweeted that the federal government stands ready to help Newfoundland and Labrador “if needed.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 18, 2020.

The Canadian Press