Nicole to be typical fall storm, but officials warn of outages where Fiona hit hard

HALIFAX – Environment Canada says the Category 1 hurricane that hit Florida early this morning will feel like a typical fall storm when the weather system makes its way to the East Coast this weekend.

But officials are warning to look out for potential outages in areas of the region hit hardest in late September by post-tropical storm Fiona.

The Prince Edward Island government issued a statement today encouraging residents to prepare for wind gusts by clearing the debris left in Fiona’s wake.

Fiona caused widespread power outages across Atlantic Canada that lasted as long as 19 days in some parts of P.E.I.

The province says that due to the weakened trees near power lines, residents should prepare for power outages when storm Nicole hits the region on Saturday.

Environment Canada meteorologist Bob Robichaud says Nicole is significantly milder than Fiona but is still expected to bring heavy rain in New Brunswick and significant wind gusts in Nova Scotia and P.E.I.

He says there does not appear to be a risk of flooding, though he adds that winds may reach a peak of 70 kilometres per hour in some parts of the region.

Sandbag beach reinforcements, which had previously been covered with sand, lie exposed following the passage of Hurricane Nicole, Thursday, Nov. 10, 2022, in Vero Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)