Tens of Thousands Left Without Electricity, One Fatality Reported Following Atlantic Storm Lee’s Onslaught on New England and Canada’s Maritime Provinces

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Atlantic storm Lee unleashed a wave of destruction across New England and Maritime Canada, featuring fierce winds, turbulent seas, and intense rainfall that resulted in fallen trees, inundated roads, and widespread power outages on Saturday. A life was lost in Maine due to a falling tree limb that struck a vehicle.

The core of the vast post-tropical cyclone touched down approximately 135 miles (215 kilometers) to the west of Halifax, Nova Scotia’s capital, as stated by the U.S. National Hurricane Center. This location is roughly 50 miles (80 kilometers) southeast of Eastport, Maine. Although the storm’s winds reached near-hurricane levels at 70 mph (110 kph), it began to weaken as it progressed northward toward New Brunswick and the Gulf of St. Lawrence.

Nova Scotia’s coastal roads were submerged and ferry services halted, heightening concerns in an area already grappling with the aftermath of summer wildfires and severe flooding. All flights were canceled at Halifax Stanfield International Airport, the province’s main aviation hub.

Harbors and fishing communities in New England were being evacuated of vessels in anticipation of Hurricane Lee.

Councilor Pam Lovelace in Halifax stated, “People are fatigued. The events have been too numerous in a short span of time.”

At noon on Saturday, power outages impacted 11% of Maine’s electricity consumers, 27% in Nova Scotia, 8% in New Brunswick, and 3% in Prince Edward Island. The storm’s expansive reach led to electrical disruptions even hundreds of miles away from its center.

The range of the hurricane-force winds emanating from the eye of the storm extended up to 140 miles (220 kilometers), while tropical storm-level winds stretched as far as 320 miles (515 kilometers), sufficiently encompassing the entirety of Maine and a substantial portion of Maritime Canada.

In the United States, a tropical storm warning was still active, spanning from Stonington, Maine, to the U.S.-Canada border. This included Bar Harbor, a popular gateway to Acadia National Park, where a whale-watching vessel became unmoored and ran aground. Emergency responders were summoned to offload 1,800 gallons of diesel fuel to prevent a marine spill.

A motorist, aged 51, in Searsport, Maine, was fatally struck by a large tree limb on U.S. Highway 1 during a period of elevated winds, marking the first death attributed to the storm. Electrical lines were brought down by the falling limb, requiring utility workers to disconnect the power prior to the man’s extraction, as reported by Police Chief Brian Lunt. The individual was subsequently pronounced dead at a hospital.

The U.S. National Hurricane Center anticipated a storm surge of up to 3 feet (0.91 meters), coupled with large and devastating waves.

Areas of Massachusetts that were recently afflicted by severe flash floods were largely spared by the storm, while in eastern Maine, conditions had sufficiently ameliorated by late afternoon to allow utility crews to commence repairs.

National Weather Service meteorologist Sarah Thunberg likened the storm to a nor’easter, a common type of storm during the fall and winter seasons characterized by winds blowing from the northeast.

Despite the many challenges posed by the storm, some residents took the risk of venturing outside. Among them were Betsy Follansbee and her husband, Fred, who went to Higgins Beach in Scarborough, Maine, to observe surfers tackling waves as high as 12 feet (3.6 meters).

Lee bore similarities with 2012’s Superstorm Sandy, although it was not expected to be as destructive. Unlike Hurricane Fiona from a year ago, Lee’s impact was comparatively milder.

Destructive hurricanes in these northern regions have been relatively infrequent, with the last significant one being the Great New England Hurricane of 1938.

This report corrects a prior error stating the Republican leader of the Maine Legislature as Bill Bob; the correct name is Billy Bob Faulkingham. Contributing to this report were journalists from various locations, including Portland, Maine; Boston; Las Vegas; Anchorage, Alaska; Toronto; and Concord, New Hampshire.

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