This Friday, Sept. 15, 2023, 4:06 p.m. EDT satellite image provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shows Hurricane Lee, right, near New England and Eastern Canada. (NOAA via AP)

By paNOW Staff

WAITING FOR THE STORM

P.A. man living in Nova Scotia prepares for the arrival of Hurricane Lee

Sep 15, 2023 | 5:00 PM

Boats are being pulled out of the water in Nova Scotia Friday as forecasters warned Hurricane Lee could soon bring damaging winds, large waves, flooding and power outages.

Lee is expected to move into western Nova Scotia and southern New Brunswick on Saturday, bringing heavy rains, high winds, and powerful waves.

Areas along Nova Scotia’s central Atlantic coast could see breaking waves of between four and six metres.

Less than a month ago, Prince Albert’s Colin Minielly started university in Middleton, Nova Scotia near the Bay of Fundy. He spoke to paNOW about what he’s expecting as the storm approaches his new home.

Staff at Nova Scotia Community College where he is studying have told students to prepare for a series of power outages over the next two to three days.

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“We’re kind of anticipating a little bit of rain and a little bit of wind,” said Minielly. “It’s looking like it’s going to be dying down really quick as it approaches the heart of Nova Scotia. A lot of people are saying that it’s going to be a stronger storm but it’s no Fiona.”

Ian Hubbard, a meteorologist for Environment and Climate Change Canada and the Canadian Hurricane Centre, said Lee won’t be anywhere near the severity of the remnants of Hurricane Fiona, which washed houses into the ocean, knocked out power to most of two provinces and swept a woman into the sea a year ago.

That storm cost over $350 million in damage to Nova Scotia, making it the most costly extreme weather event ever recorded in Atlantic Canada and the seventh largest in Canada’s history in terms of insured damages, according to the Insurance Bureau of Canada.

The centre of Lee will likely pass over southwestern Nova Scotia sometime on Saturday afternoon, bringing Lee’s strongest winds and heaviest rainfall, according to Environment Canada.

But Lee’s impact is expected to be felt as much as 300 kilometres from the centre, and some parts of Nova Scotia will begin to experience its winds and rains on Friday night.

Minielly’s heard from other residents who say they’re not too concerned about the storm as the trajectory appears to be moving away from them

“The track does seem to be moving a little more westerly every now and then,” he said. “Nova Scotia is going to be on the edge but still on the edge of the hurricane is said to be a lot.”

–With files from The Canadian Press and The Associated Press