HALIFAX, Nova Scotia, Sept 24 (Reuters) – Powerful storm Fiona slammed into jap Canada on Saturday with hurricane-force winds, forcing evacuations, blowing over bushes and powerlines, and leaving tons of of 1000’s of properties and companies with out electrical energy.

The U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) stated the middle of the storm, downgraded to Post-Tropical Cyclone Fiona, was now within the Gulf of St. Lawrence after racing by Nova Scotia.

After taking its toll on Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island, the storm battered Newfoundland, however is now prone to weaken, the NHC stated.

Port aux Basques on the southwest tip of Newfoundland declared a state of emergency and is evacuating elements of the city that suffered flooding and street washouts, based on Mayor Brian Button and police.

“First responders are dealing with multiple electrical fires, residential flooding and washouts. Residents are asked to obey evacuation orders and to find a safe place to weather the storm,” the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in Newfoundland stated on Twitter.

“This is hitting us really, really hard right now,” Button stated in a Saturday morning video posted on Facebook by which he urged residents to remain indoors or, if requested, to evacuate. “We have a fair bit of destruction in town… We do not need anyone else injured or hurt in during this.”

Homes alongside the shoreline had been destroyed by the storm surge, CBC reported, displaying photos of particles and intensive harm within the city.

Fiona, which practically per week in the past battered Puerto Rico and different elements of the Caribbean, made landfall between Canso and Guysborough, Nova Scotia, the place the Canadian Hurricane Centre stated it recorded what could have been the bottom barometric strain of any storm to hit land within the nation’s historical past.

Ian Hubbard, meteorologist for the Canadian Hurricane Centre, informed Reuters it seems Fiona lived as much as expectations that it will be a “historical” storm.

“It did look like it had the potential to break the all-time record in Canada, and it looks like it did,” he stated. “We’re still not out of this yet.”

Storms usually are not unusual within the area and usually cross over quickly, however Fiona is anticipated to impression a really giant space.

Hubbard stated Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island nonetheless have many hours of robust winds, rain and storm surge to go, and the west coast of Newfoundland could be pounded all through the day.

While scientists haven’t but decided whether or not local weather change influenced Fiona’s energy or habits, there may be robust proof that these devastating storms are getting worse.

HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS WITHOUT POWER

Some 79% of shoppers, or 414,000, had been with out energy in Nova Scotia, and 95%, or 82,000, had misplaced energy on Prince Edward Island, utility firms stated. The area was additionally experiencing spotty cell phone service. Police throughout the area reported a number of street closures.

“She was a wild ride last night, sounded like the whole roof was going to blow off,” stated Gary Hatcher, a retiree who lives in Sydney, Nova Scotia, close to the place the storm made landfall. A maple tree was toppled in his again yard however didn’t harm his home.

Sydney recorded wind gusts of 141 kph (88 mph), Hubbard stated.

The storm weakened considerably because it traveled north. As of 11 a.m. (1500 GMT), it was over the Gulf of St. Lawrence about 100 miles (160 km) west-north-west of Port aux Basques, carrying most winds of 80 miles per hour (130 kph) and barreling north at round 25 mph (41 kph), the NHC stated.

Fiona is anticipated to take care of hurricane-force winds till Saturday afternoon, the NHC stated.

As a strong hurricane when it lashed Caribbean islands earlier within the week, Fiona killed a minimum of eight and knocked out energy for nearly all of Puerto Rico’s 3.3 million folks throughout a sweltering warmth wave. Nearly 1,000,000 folks remained with out energy 5 days later.

No casualties have but been reported in Canada.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau delayed Saturday’s departure for Japan, the place he was to attend the funeral of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, to obtain briefings and assist the federal government’s emergency response, Press Secretary Cecely Roy stated on Twitter.

Canadian authorities despatched emergency alerts in Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island, warning of extreme flooding alongside shorelines and very harmful waves. People in coastal areas had been suggested to evacuate.

Reporting Eric Martyn in Halifax and John Morris in Stephenville; Additional reporting by Ivelisse Rivera in San Juan, Puerto Rico and Ismail Shakil and Steve Scherer in Ottawa; Writing by Steve Scherer; Editing by Frances Kerry and Bill Berkrot

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico/Santo Domingo, Sept 19 (Reuters) – Hurricane Fiona was churning north on Monday night after bringing torrential rain and highly effective winds to the Dominican Republic and triggering a complete energy outage in neighboring Puerto Rico, the place no less than two folks died.

The Category 2 hurricane will seemingly turn out to be a Category 3 because it strikes throughout heat Caribbean waters towards the Turks and Caicos. Fiona was upgraded to a Category 2 with winds of 105 mph (169 kph) by the National Hurricane Center on Monday night.

On Tuesday, the middle of Fiona is predicted to go close to or to the east of the archipelago, which is topic to a present hurricane warning, the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) stated. Tropical storm situations have been additionally anticipated within the Bahamas.

After strafing Puerto Rico, Fiona made landfall within the Dominican Republic close to Boca Yuma at 3:30 a.m. native time, in accordance with the NHC. The heart of the storm reached the northern coast of Hispaniola earlier than midday.

It is the primary hurricane to attain a direct hit on the Dominican Republic since Jeanne left extreme injury within the east of the nation in September 2004.

Fiona brought on extreme flooding, leaving a number of villages remoted, and a few 800 evacuees and greater than 11,000 folks with out energy within the jap area of the nation.

“The damage is considerable,” stated Dominican Republic President Luis Abinader. He plans to declare a state of catastrophe within the provinces of La Altagracia, the place the famed resort of Punta Cana is situated, El Seibo and Hato Mayor.

In La Altagracia, within the excessive east of the nation and the place the hurricane made landfall Monday morning, the overflow of the Yuma River broken agricultural areas and left a number of cities remoted.

Electric and water utilities are working to revive companies in affected areas.

In Puerto Rico, a territory of the United States, residents have been nonetheless going through robust winds, frequent lightning and heavy rain.

Fiona made landfall there on Sunday afternoon, dumping as much as 30 inches (76.2 cm) of rain in some areas.

The storm comes 5 years after the Puerto Rico was ravaged by Hurricane Maria, which triggered the worst energy blackout in U.S. historical past.

U.S. President Joe Biden spoke with Puerto Rico Governor Pedro Pierluisi on Monday, promising to extend the help personnel despatched to the island over the following few days.

“The President said that he will ensure that the Federal team remains on the job to get it done,” in accordance with the White House.

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Administrator Deanne Criswell will journey there on Tuesday.

Jeannette Rivera, 54, a public relations employee in Orlando, Florida, stated she had not spoken together with her household since a spotty telephone name early Sunday.

She fears for her dad and mom’ security and the well being of her 84-year-old father, who had simply contracted COVID-19 and was operating a fever.

“My worry is that if they need help, there’s no way to communicate,” Rivera stated.

WITHOUT POWER

Nearly 90% of Puerto Rico remained with out energy on Monday, in accordance with Poweroutage.us. Officials stated it will take days to reconnect the entire island of three.3 million folks.

Many roads have been left impassable as a consequence of downed bushes and mudslides. Images on social media depicted submerged vehicles, folks wading in waist-deep water and rescue boats floating down swamped streets. Just 30% of ingesting water clients have service.

Crews rescued some 400 folks from flooding in Salinas, a city within the south the place rain has turned to a drizzle. The south and southeast areas have been the toughest hit.

Puerto Rico’s energy grid stays fragile regardless of emergency repairs after Maria, in accordance with Center for a New Economy, a Puerto Rican assume tank.

Maria, a Category 5 storm in 2017 which killed greater than 3,000 folks, left 1.5 million clients with out electrical energy and knocked out 80% of energy traces. Thousands of Puerto Ricans nonetheless stay beneath makeshift tarpaulin roofs.

While the National Weather Service lifted its hurricane warning for Puerto Rico on Monday, officers warned that rainbands may comply with the storm system for lots of of miles.

A 70-year-old man within the northern city of Arecibo is the primary identified casualty in Puerto Rico. He was attempting to start out his electrical generator when the machine exploded, killing him immediately, police stated.

A second man drowned within the afternoon. Police stated an 88-year-old girl died of a coronary heart assault at a shelter.

Hundreds of responders have been aiding in restoration efforts after Biden declared an emergency for the island, permitting FEMA to coordinate catastrophe aid and supply emergency protecting measures.

Pierluisi stated the federal government’s response has been far more environment friendly than throughout Hurricane Maria, which grew to become extremely politicized with former President Donald Trump’s administration criticized for being too sluggish in offering catastrophe aid. Trump refuted that.

The authorities has not estimated the damages, since it’s nonetheless within the response interval, although the governor stated damages have been within the thousands and thousands.

For a lot of the 5 years since Maria struck Puerto Rico, the debt-laden authorities and the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority have been mired in chapter and island funds have been managed by a federally appointed oversight board.

(This story corrects 12 months that Hurricane Jeanne struck Dominican Republic to 2004, not 2018, in fifth paragraph)

Reporting by Ivelisse Riveria in San Juan and Ezequiel Abiu Lopez in Santo Domingo; Additional reporting by Tyler Clifford, Rich McKay, Trevor Hunnicutt, Mica Rosenberg, Christian Plumb and Tim Reid; Writing by Tyler Clifford and Costas Pitas; Editing by Frank McGurty, Mark Porter, Richard Chang and Leslie Adler

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

LONDON, Sept 9 (Reuters) – King Charles was greeted by cheering crowds outdoors Buckingham Palace on Friday as he returned to London ahead of a televised address to a nation mourning the loss of life of his mom Queen Elizabeth after seven a long time on the throne.

Charles, who raced to be by the facet of the queen at her Scottish house on Thursday, headed again to London along with his spouse Camilla, now Queen Consort, earlier than a gathering with the prime minister and making a televised assertion at 1700 GMT.

The loss of life of the queen, Britain’s longest-reigning monarch and a towering presence on the world stage for 70 years, has introduced messages of condolences from around the globe.

Outside Buckingham Palace in central London, Britain’s new monarch was met with cheers, applause and a crowd singing “God Save The King” as he made his first public look since ascending the throne. learn extra

“I said thank you for coming and I’m so sorry, and he said thank you to me,” mentioned Denise Berriman, one of these the brand new king spoke to throughout his impromptu 10-minute walkabout after stopping his automotive outdoors the palace gates.

“Then I told Camilla to look after Charles, and she said ‘I’ll try’. I was amongst the first people to shake the hand of the King of England. I was two-and-a-half when Elizabeth became queen, and we will never have someone like her again, and I’m 73 now watching her son become king.”

Charles and Camilla then briefly inspected the mass of flowers left outdoors the well-known black railings, earlier than heading into the palace the place the flag of the British sovereign was flown overhead.

Britain had woken up to its first day with no lady as soon as described by her grandson Harry as “the nation’s grandmother”. Billboards throughout town displayed messages of condolence and newspapers ran front-page photograph tributes to the queen.

Buckingham Palace mentioned there can be a interval of mourning to be noticed by members of the household and the royal family till per week after the funeral, the date of which has not but been confirmed however is predicted in about 10 days time.

American broadcaster NBC reported that U.S. President Joe Biden would attend.

Charles will formally be proclaimed king on Saturday at a gathering of the Accession Council held at St James’s Palace adopted by proclamations throughout the nation. learn extra

NATIONAL MOURNING

The authorities has declared a interval of nationwide mourning which might proceed till the state funeral, and a web based book of condolence was opened.

Some individuals shed tears as they laid flowers outdoors royal palaces the place 1000’s turned up throughout the day to pay their respects.

“She was amazing. She was like everyone’s granny,” mentioned Kay McClement, 55, who got here with a pal to depart flowers at Balmoral Castle.

Railway employee Liam Fitzjohn, 27, mentioned he introduced his daughter for a second of historical past. “She’s all we ever knew,” he mentioned.

The authorities mentioned it anticipated giant crowds to mass at royal residences and warned of doable delays on some public transport.

Elizabeth was head of state of the United Kingdom and 14 different realms together with Australia, Canada, Jamaica, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea.

Charles, who mechanically succeeded her as king, mentioned the loss of life was a second of nice unhappiness for himself and his household.

“I know her loss will be deeply felt throughout the country, the Realms and the Commonwealth, and by countless people around the world,” the 73-year-old mentioned in a press release.

He will meet Prime Minister Liz Truss earlier than later addressing the nation.

There have been gun salutes at London’s Hyde Park and on the Tower of London, and the bells at Westminster Abbey and St Paul’s in addition to the Sebastopol Bell at Windsor Castle, captured throughout the nineteenth Century Crimean War, tolled.

Regular enterprise in parliament was changed with a particular session for lawmakers to pay tribute to the queen. Parliament may also convene on Saturday, one thing it hardly ever does, to approve a message of condolence to the king.

“Since last night’s shocking news, we have witnessed the most heartfelt outpouring of grief at the loss of her late majesty, the queen,” Truss advised lawmakers, who held a minute’s silence initially of proceedings.

“Her late majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, was one of the greatest leaders the world has ever known. She was the rock on which modern Britain was built,” mentioned Truss, who Elizabeth solely appointed on Tuesday in her final public responsibility – the fifteenth premier of her lengthy reign.

Bereft of its image of continuity and resilience, Britain begins its new period with a brand new king and new prime minister in grave financial disaster and following years of political division.

Long-running industrial motion sparked by surging inflation was cancelled throughout the interval of mourning.

The Bank of England mentioned it could delay its month-to-month assembly to set rates of interest by one week due to the loss of life.

MACRON’S MESSAGE

News that the queen’s well being was deteriorating emerged shortly after noon on Thursday when a palace assertion mentioned she had been put underneath medical supervision, prompting her household to rush to Scotland.

The queen had been affected by what Buckingham Palace had referred to as “episodic mobility problems” for the reason that finish of final yr, forcing her to withdraw from practically all her public engagements. Her husband of 73 years, Prince Philip, died in April final yr.

Condolences poured in from leaders around the globe. From the Sydney Harbour Bridge to the European Commission in Brussels flags have been flown at half-mast. Ferdinand Marcos Jr of the Philippines and French President Emmanuel Macron have been amongst these to signal books of condolence. learn extra

“To you, she was your queen. To us, she was the queen. To us all she (will) be with us forever,” Macron mentioned in a heartfelt message to the British individuals.

Elizabeth, who was additionally the world’s oldest and longest-serving head of state, got here to the throne following the loss of life of her father King George VI on Feb. 6, 1952, when she was simply 25 and oversaw a seismic change within the social, political and financial construction of her nation.

She gained reward for guiding the monarchy into the twenty first Century and modernising it within the course of, regardless of intense media scrutiny and the customarily extremely public travails of her household. Charles, who polls point out is much less widespread than his mom, now has the duty of securing the establishment’s future.

“His Majesty, King Charles III, bears an awesome responsibility that he now carries for all of us,” Truss advised parliament. “He has already made a profound contribution through his work on conservation, education, and his tireless diplomacy. We owe him our loyalty and devotion.”

Reporting by Michael Holden, William James, Kate Holton, Humza Jilani, Farouq Suleiman, Muvija M, and Alistair Smout in London and Andrew MacAskill and Gerhard Mey in Balmoral; Editing by Kate Holton and Janet Lawrence

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

KINGSTON/NEW YORK, Sept 8 (Reuters) – The accession of King Charles to the British throne has stirred renewed calls from politicians and activists for former colonies within the Caribbean to take away the monarch as their head of state and for Britain to pay slavery reparations.

Charles succeeds his mom, Queen Elizabeth, who ruled for 70 years and died on Thursday afternoon.

The prime minister of Jamaica mentioned his nation would mourn Elizabeth, and his counterpart in Antigua and Barbuda ordered flags to half-staff till the day of her burial.

But in some quarters there are doubts in regards to the function a distant monarch ought to play within the twenty first century. Earlier this 12 months, some Commonwealth leaders expressed unease at a summit in Kigali, Rwanda, in regards to the passage of management of the 54-nation membership from Elizabeth to Charles.

And an eight-day tour in March by now heir-to-the-throne Prince William and his spouse, Kate, to Belize, Jamaica and the Bahamas was marked by calls for reparation funds and an apology for slavery.

“As the role of the monarchy changes, we expect this can be an opportunity to advance discussions of reparations for our region,” Niambi Hall-Campbell, a 44-year-old tutorial who chairs the Bahamas National Reparations Committee, mentioned Thursday.

Hall-Campbell despatched condolences to the Queen’s household and famous Charles’ acknowledgment of the “appalling atrocity of slavery” at a ceremony final 12 months marking the tip of British rule as Barbados turned a republic.

She mentioned she hopes Charles would lead in a manner reflecting the “justice required of the times. And that justice is reparatory justice.”

More than 10 million Africans have been shackled into the Atlantic slave commerce by European nations between the fifteenth and nineteenth centuries. Those who survived the brutal voyage have been pressured to labor on plantations within the Caribbean and the Americas.

Jamaican reparations advocate Rosalea Hamilton mentioned Charles’ feedback on the Kigali convention about his private sorrow over slavery supplied “some degree of hope that he will learn from the history, understand the painful impact that many nations have endured ’til today” and tackle the necessity for reparations.

The new king didn’t point out reparations within the Kigali speech.

The Advocates Network, which Hamilton coordinates, printed an open letter calling for “apologies and reparations” throughout William and Kate’s go to.

The Queen’s grandchildren have the prospect to guide the reparations dialog, Hamilton added.

Jamaica’s authorities final 12 months introduced plans to ask Britain for compensation for forcibly transporting an estimated 600,000 Africans to work on sugar cane and banana plantations that created fortunes for British slave holders.

“Whoever will take over the position should be asked to allow the royal family to pay African people reparations,” mentioned David Denny, basic secretary of the Caribbean Movement for Peace and Integration, from Barbados.

“We should all work towards removing the royal family as head of state of our nations,” he mentioned.

Jamaica has signaled it might quickly observe Barbados in ditching royal rule. Both stay members of the Commonwealth.

An August survey confirmed 56% of Jamaicans favor eradicating the British monarch as the head of state.

Mikael Phillips, an opposition member of Jamaica’s parliament, in 2020 filed a movement backing the removal.

“I am hoping as the prime minister had said in one of his expressions, that he would move faster when there is a new monarch in place,” Phillips mentioned on Thursday.

Allen Chastanet, a former St. Lucia prime minister and now chief of the opposition, advised Reuters he backed what he mentioned was a “general” motion towards republicanism in his nation.

“I certainly at this point would support becoming a republic,” he mentioned.

Reporting by Kate Chappell in Kingston; further reporting by Robertson Henry in St. Vincent and Michela Moscufo in New York
Writing by Julia Symmes Cobb
Editing by Rosalba O’Brien and Leslie Adler

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.