Hurricane Earl weakens to Category 2 storm as it approaches Nova Scotia

After side-swiping the North Carolina coastline, a weakened Hurricane Earl is heading in the direction of Nova Scotia as a Category 2 hurricane.The Canadian Hurricane Centre said in a statement on Sept. 3 that hurricane watches are in effect for Halifax, Lunenburg, Queens, Shelburne, Yarmouth and Digby counties of Nova Scotia.In addition, tropical storm warnings are in effect for most areas of mainland Nova Scotia, all of Prince Edward Island, Cape Breton Island, Southeast New Brunswick and iles de la Madeleine.Rainfall warnings for amounts from 50 to 70 mm are posted for most parts of mainland Nova Scotia and Southeastern New Brunswick.Once a Category 4 hurricane, Earl packed winds of up to 204 km-h when it approached the U.S. coast on Sept. 2. But those maximum sustained winds have now diminished to 167 km-h, the Canadian Hurricane Centre reports.Insurers, including the Insurance Bureau of Canada and RSA, have issued media releases advising policyholders on ways to expedite the claims process in the event of damage due to the hurricane. RSA’s tips include separating damaged from undamaged property, taking photographs of damaged property, and keeping receipts for any clean-up costs incurred.