Officials urge Nova Scotians to brace for Hurricane Lee

Nova Scotia officials are urging residents to prepare for potential power outages, flooding and storm surges when Hurricane Lee hits the Maritimes.

John Lohr, the minister responsible for the emergency management office, said during a news conference Friday that Nova Scotians should do what they can to brace for the storm before it makes landfall Saturday.

“I wanted to take this opportunity to remind Nova Scotians, if they haven’t already done so, the time to prepare is now — before the storm hits our shores,” Lohr said.

The province said residents should secure gates, doors and windows, move yard furniture and secure anything that could be picked up by wind, and be sure to have food and water for at least 72 hours.

Officials also urge people to charge all phones and other devices, fill vehicles with gas and park them away from trees, keep pets inside, and check on their neighbours.

“This is going to be a prolonged event,” Bob Robichaud, Environment Canada meteorologist with the Canadian Hurricane Centre, said Friday.

The meteorologist said the storm is large and is forecast to cover a significant area of the region, but it will not be as extreme as post-tropical storm Fiona.

“The intensity of the storm is already weaker than Fiona was when Fiona made landfall,” Robichaud said.

The magnitude of Hurricane Lee and its peak wind speeds are expected to be milder than what Fiona brought to Atlantic Canada on Sept. 24, 2022, the meteorologist said. Fiona caused significant damage, widespread power outages and storm surges that swept away homes in Newfoundland.

“We are going to see some waves, high water, strong winds (with Hurricane Lee). But on all accounts, what we should see with this storm is less than what we saw with Fiona,” Robichaud said.

Environment Canada is forecasting that Nova Scotia will feel the effects of Lee starting in the southwestern region late Friday evening, progressing throughout the province Saturday.

For more Nova Scotia news visit our dedicated provincial page.

CTVNewsAtlantic.ca will provide coverage and live updates on Hurricane Lee, every hour on the hour, beginning at 8 a.m. Saturday.