Servicemen on their way to help with Fiona's recovery efforts

Residents of Atlantic Canada and eastern Quebec come to terms with the extent of the damage left after post-tropical storm Fiona passed through the region over the weekend, one of the strongest storms to hit the east coast of Canada has ever known.

Members of the Canadian Armed Forces are being deployed to help recovery efforts, with Federal Defense Minister Anita Anand saying on Sunday that about 100 troops apiece were either in place or en route to Newfoundland, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island to help with the cleanup effort. .

Emergency Preparedness Minister Bill Blair said the immediate need was to provide food and shelter to those displaced by the storm, which is why the federal government is making donations to the Canadian Red Cross.

This handout image provided by Pauline Billard on September 25, 2022 shows the damage caused by Hurricane Fiona in Rose Blanche-Harbour le Cou, Newfoundland and Labrador. Photo by Pauline Billard /AFP via Getty Images

However, he added that Ottawa will work with the provinces to determine what is needed for recovery from a financial standpoint, especially for Canadians who have lost everything. He said the first priority was restoring power and utilities, as well as clearing roads to get essential supplies to those in need.

At Fiona’s peak on Saturday, more than 500,000 customers across Atlantic Canada were without power, but by early Monday morning that number had been reduced to less than 300,000, the vast majority in Nova Scotia. But even as crews work around the clock to fix downed lines, some utility companies have warned it could be days before power is restored to everyone.

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Authorities in western Newfoundland confirmed Fiona’s first death in Canada on Sunday. RCMP say the body of a 73-year-old woman was found in the water more than 24 hours after a massive wave hit her home, ripping out part of the basement. His name was not immediately released.

The cause of death for a second person on Prince Edward Island has yet to be determined, but the island’s acting director of public safety told a news conference that preliminary results indicated « the use of a generator ». No other details were provided.

Structures float in the water in the aftermath of Hurricane Fiona in Rose Blanche, Newfoundland, September 25, 2022. Photo by JOHN MORRIS /Reuters
Port Aux Basques Mayor Brian Button walks through town to survey the damage after Hurricane Fiona landed in Port Aux Basques, Newfoundland September 25, 2022. Photo by JOHN MORRIS /Reuters
People examine the remains of a home after Hurricane Fiona landed in Port Aux Basques, Newfoundland, September 25, 2022. Photo by JOHN MORRIS /Reuters
A search and rescue team scans the shoreline as they search for an individual swept out to sea after Hurricane Fiona landed in Port Aux Basques, Newfoundland, September 25, 2022. Photo by JOHN MORRIS /Reuters
A ball reading ‘Today is a new day’ sits amidst the damage after Hurricane Fiona landed in Port Aux Basques, Newfoundland, September 25, 2022. Photo by JOHN MORRIS /Reuters
Local residents line up to fill up gas cans a day after post-tropical storm Fiona hit the Atlantic coast on September 25, 2022 in New London, Prince Edward Island. Photo by Drew Angerer /Getty Images
In an aerial view, damage to the Stanley Bridge Marina, including several windblown boats and storm surge, a day after post-tropical storm Fiona hit the Atlantic coast on September 25, 2022 in New London , Prince Edward Island. Photo by Drew Angerer /Getty Images
This handout image provided by Pauline Billard on September 25, 2022 shows the damage caused by Hurricane Fiona in Rose Blanche-Harbour le Cou, Newfoundland and Labrador. Photo by PAULINE BILLARD /Pauline Billard/AFP via Getty Im
This handout image provided by Kathy Ingram MacKinnon on September 25, 2022 shows the damage caused by Hurricane Fiona in Neils Harbour, Nova Scotia. Photo by KATHY INGRAM MACKINNON /Kathy Ingram MacKinnon/AFP via G
People remove items from damaged buildings that were moved from their position in the aftermath of Hurricane Fiona in Port Aux Basques, Newfoundland and Labrador, Sunday, September 25, 2022. Photo by John Morris /Reuters
A fallen tree sits on a house after Hurricane Fiona, later downgraded to a post-tropical storm, hit Halifax on September 24, 2022. Photo by Ted Pritchard /Reuters
This September 24, 2022 image courtesy of Michael King, Special Advisor to Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Andrew Furey, and his family, shows the damage caused by Post-Tropical Storm Fiona on the Burnt Islands in Newfoundland and Labrador. Photo by HANDOUT/Michael King /AFP via Getty Images
A resident takes photos of flooding after Hurricane Fiona, later downgraded to a post-tropical cyclone, hit Shediac, NB on September 24, 2022. Photo by Greg Locke /Reuters