Hurricane Lee is moving up the Atlantic and is set to reach Maine and Nova Scotia this weekend.
On Friday evening, Hurricane Lee, a Category One storm, was on its way to Canada’s Atlantic provinces. Coastal areas in New England and parts of Canada are on high alert. US authorities warn that it will be a big and dangerous storm.
The storm has sustained strong winds of 80mph (128km/h) and is currently 290 miles south of Nantucket, Massachusetts, according to the National Hurricane Center (NHC). Lee, a couple of hundred miles north of Bermuda, has already brought strong winds and power outages to those islands.
The NHC stated that Lee will remain a large and dangerous cyclone, bringing powerful winds, heavy rain, and coastal flooding. Due to its expanding size, areas far from where it hits land will still be affected.
The NHC cautioned that Lee’s swells could lead to flooding in localized urban and small stream areas, especially in parts of eastern Maine, New Brunswick, and western Nova Scotia into Saturday. This could result in downed trees and potential power outages.
Maine’s Governor, Janet Mills, declared a state of emergency, and President Joe Biden mobilized resources from the Federal Emergency Management Agency in preparation for the storm.
The state is bracing for waves as high as 20 feet (6 meters) and gusts of wind reaching up to 70 mph.
Maine is expected to bear the brunt of Lee’s heavy rain. New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island will also experience significant rainfall.
The last hurricane to hit Maine was Hurricane Gerda in 1969. In 1991, Hurricane Bob was downgraded to a tropical storm just before it made landfall.
The Canadian Hurricane Center has issued warnings for parts of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island.
Wildlife parks in Nova Scotia will be closed on Friday as Hurricane Lee approaches.
“We are closing our parks for the storm and will reopen when it is safe,” said Tory Rushton, provincial minister of natural resources and renewables.
Nova Scotia Power is getting ready for potential power outages due to the storm.
Forecasters from Environment Canada advised that the Atlantic provinces of Canada would start experiencing wind and rain by Friday evening.
“Any preparations should be finished by late this afternoon, early evening at the latest because we will start to see some of that rain and the winds will gradually pick up,” said forecaster Bob Robichaud.
In Halifax, shelters have been arranged for homeless individuals to ensure their safety during the storm.
The extent of the storm’s damage will depend on its path and any shifts in direction before it makes landfall. Currently, it is moving northward at a speed of 18 mph.
SOURCE:BBC