Storm prompts eastern N.B. warning

Emergency officials are warning people in coastal areas of eastern New Brunswick to be prepared to move to higher ground as a storm batters the Maritimes.

The New Brunswick Emergency Measures Organization said Tuesday afternoon that Environment Canada was predicting a storm surge of between 2.6 and three metres along the province's coast, particularly between the Miramichi region and Bouctouche.

Some people in the village of Rexton were asked to leave their homes voluntarily.

"People in low-lying areas should be prepared to move to higher ground," the public alert said. "People should also be prepared to evacuate on short notice if safety becomes an issue."

District emergency operations centres have been set up in Miramichi, Bathurst, Dieppe and Caraquet to help local authorities.

High tide passed in the late afternoon, but Karl Wilmot of the province's EMO said he didn't expect the storm surge to let up much overnight, partially because the moon is full.

"So there's going to be very little different in this situation with tides," he said. "In this situation here, surge is a combination of tide, wind, and the barometric pressure. It's certainly not going to just disappear on us."

High winds, rain and snow were pounding many parts of the Maritimes, flooding harbours and causing power outages and dangerous driving conditions.

Power outages in 3 provinces

NB Power reported about 3,500 customers were without electricity at around 8 p.m. AT, with large outages in Moncton and Bouctouche. Outages in Moncton forced Lewisville Middle School and Bernice MacNaughton High School to close.

Nova Scotia Power said almost 3,900 customers were without power at about 8 p.m., all either on Cape Breton or in the Truro area.

On P.E.I., Maritime Electric spent Tuesday  fighting a running battle against blackouts. A few hundred customers were without power for most of the morning. That spiked to 5,800 in eastern P.E.I. in the early afternoon, but the number of customers without power mostly hovered around 600.

Environment Canada has issued wind, storm surge and rain warnings in eastern New Brunswick, as well as storm surge warnings along the northern coast.

A storm surge happens when a high tide combines with strong onshore winds, creating an even higher tide that can lead to coastal flooding.

"The areas from Bouctouche to Miscou Island that are exposed to the full brunt of the ocean waves will be the worst affected," Environment Canada said in a statement Tuesday.

The storm has caused Shediac, a coastal community, to close its main entrance. The bridge near the town's famous giant lobster has been closed due to high tide.

One of the town's campgrounds is under water, and NB Power shut off electricity to some homes because of flooding.

Meanwhile, the Pointe-du-Chene wharf, which is near Shediac, was under water because of the storm, said local MLA Victor Boudreau.

CBC News also received a photograph showing the wharf at Murray Harbour, P.E.I., under water. Environment Canada issued storm surge, wind, and rainfall warnings for the entire island.

The Island's government warned people to use caution Tuesday, adding that there had been reports of flooding in several areas including Brackley Beach, Rustico, Savage Harbour and Malpeque.

The high winds have led to some restrictions on the Confederation Bridge.

Automobiles towing trailers, motorcycles, high-sided vehicles including trucks, tractor trailers, recreational vehicles, and buses are not allowed on the bridge until further notice.

Nova Scotia was not spared the winter storm, with Cape Breton facing the harshest conditions. Drivers were urged to be extra cautious across the island.

In Pictou County, high winds caused an eight-metre pleasure boat being shipped to Newfoundland to break away from a trailer near Salt Springs, N.S., and end up on the side of the highway.

There were also waves crashing over the Canso Causeway Tuesday, causing a hazard to motorists.

The Nova Scotia Department of Transportation reported there were trees down on highways around the island.

Storm surge and wind warnings were in effect for Cape Breton, areas on the Northumberland Strait, and Guysborough County. Heavy rains or snow were also expected. 

In New Brunswick, EMO's Wilmot said the provincial government took steps Monday to make sure coastal communities understood the potential magnitude of the looming storm.

"What we did [Monday] is we called all our local service managers, who in turn called all the towns and villages along that area, and had them start their preparations for what we figure is going to be a very serious event," Wilmot said.

While eastern and northern New Brunswick are bearing  the worst of the current storm, it was southern and western regions of the province that were hit hardest by last week's deluge and subsequent flooding.

Several northern communities, such as Charlo, were severely damaged by storm surges two weeks ago.