As Islanders told to prepare for hurricane season, some still dealing with Fiona fallout

Prince Edward Islanders are being advised to prepare for another hurricane season, even as some continue to deal with fallout from post-tropical storm Fiona last September.

The Department of Health and Wellness recently sent out an email to long-term care facilities, asking if they had enough food, water, fuel and medication on hand to be able to operate for five to seven days without access to power or supplies. 

Lindsay Dickieson, administrator at The Mount, said the long-term care home is reviewing its emergency plan. 

• Get the news you need without restrictions. Download our free CBC News App.

After Fiona hit the Island, The Mount lost power for just over a week and also didn't have phone and internet service for days. 

"I do think that our telecommunication companies and government have to plan so that they can be prepared for this type of weather events as well," Dickieson said. 

She said living through the aftermath of the storm took a toll on people, and that it's hard to think about the upcoming hurricane season. 

"We just need to face it and prepare the best we can," she said. 

Increased storm activity expected

Last week meteorologists with the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) adjusted its forecast, increasing the likelihood of an "above-normal" Atlantic hurricane season to 60 per cent.

Chris Fogarty, head of the Canadian Hurricane Centre in Halifax, said there could be a higher frequency of storms in the region this season.

"We certainly have some vulnerabilities in Nova Scotia and P.E.I. in particular," he said. 

If there are more northerly winds, shorelines which were damaged by Fiona could be further damaged, Fogarty said.

"We do expect more activity than we were thinking originally, but we don't know if storms will make it up to Canadian waters," he said. 

"We can't predict the individual storms this far ahead. People just need to realize that it's hurricane season coming up."

Storms usually hit the Atlantic region in September, he said.

Fogarty, who has spent his career studying the Canadian impact of hurricanes as they move north, said a variety of extreme weather events are becoming more common in the region — something he believes more people are now aware of.

"It just takes these hard knocks to wake us up sometimes, that wow, we are really threatened by some of these extreme events." 

'There's only so much you can do'

Beef farmer Allan Holmes had a couple of barns severely damaged in Kingston during the storm.

The wind blew off the top of a building and moved it about 12 feet (3.6 metres) away from the rest of the structure, which Holmes said "kind of collapsed like a cardboard box." He's repurposed the loft for hay storage. 

Holmes said he didn't rebuild his barns because it didn't make sense given the farm's income. He's gotten rid of a lot of cattle since Fiona, as he no longer has the space for them.

He did get a generator for his home and farm after the storm.

"I would think everyone needs to prepare for the storms themselves now," Holmes said. "We are going to get more of this weather."

Holmes said he is worried about future storms, but believes "there's only so much you can do."  

Safety still a concern

Liberal MLA Gord McNeilly said he hopes people's needs are sufficiently looked after if there's another major power outage.

McNeilly was on-site at a government-run seniors' housing complex after Fiona and has previously criticized the government's response during that power outage, which for some Islanders lasted three weeks or longer.

"We have to make sure that we keep people safe," he said.

McNeilly said he's concerned about plans to ensure the facilities have emergency generators necessary to operate elevators and run emergency lighting.

"If we are going to have a deeper hurricane season, we need to be ready for all of it. I don't know if we learned enough [from Fiona]," he said.

"We need to be able to react more quickly."

A review looking at the province's response, preparedness and recovery from Fiona is still underway.

The Department of Justice and Public Safety couldn't provide a date as to when it would be completed. It was originally supposed to be provided to the minister by the end of July.

Environment minister instructed to prepare

In a mandate letter delivered Aug. 8, Premier Dennis King advised Environment Minister Steven Myers to take several actions to ensure P.E.I. is better prepared for future extreme weather events.

Myers was directed to "create a 25-year coastal management plan, and increase setback requirements in sensitive areas, including shorelines." 

He was also instructed to work with utility providers "to ensure proper preventative measures are in place to reduce power outages and build capacity to increase restoration efforts when power outages occur."

The letter also asks the minister to establish a generator power network so essential services and critical infrastructure can continue during disruptions.

CBC News reached out to the province's main utility company Maritime Electric, but the company was not able to provide an immediate response on its preparedness for the coming hurricane season.