Fiona in the Maritimes generates international attention

A map of the Maritime provinces was a main feature on U.S. cable news ahead of Hurricane Fiona’s arrival, as storm chasers raced to the region ahead of its landfall.

“I’ve had it on my bucket list to chase a storm here in Nova Scotia anyway, but this is a no-brainer,” said Aaron Jayjack, an experienced storm chaser based in South Dakota who travels to document a variety of extreme weather events.

With the expectation of Fiona being historic, Jayjack arrived Thursday in Nova Scotia and has been following forecasts and tracking models to decide where he’ll be once the storm hits.

“One of the things I do when I first arrive on location is to start securing, just like anyone who lives here, food and water,” said Jayjack. “I have enough food and water to get me through a few days.”

Storm chasers, meteorologists, and scientists from across North America have been watching Fiona with a focus on its measured minimum air pressure.

Mark Sudduth, a storm chaser based in North Carolina, said several researchers would have meteorological sensors on the ground Saturday to detect just how low Fiona’s air pressure goes upon landfall.

“They’re kind of chomping at the bit because the science is important,” said Sudduth, in an interview with CTV News Channel. “We’re going to document this from a meteorological perspective.”

Halifax resident Brooke Clark has been spending the last few days preparing for Fiona while closely following news coverage. U.S. media attention has focused on Fiona’s potential to be the strongest ever-recorded storm in Canadian history.

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“It’s nerve-wracking to see those kinds of headlines and people saying that,” said Clark. “So I think people are taking it seriously.”