Jan Wesner Childs
Power outages, downed trees and high surf hit parts of New England and Atlantic Canada as what was once Hurricane Lee barreled north Saturday and made landfall, leaving at least one person dead in its wake.
A 51-year-old man in Searsport, Maine, was killed when a tree limb fell on his car, according to the Associated Press. Police said the tree limb brought down live power lines and power had to be cut before the man could be freed.
Power outages were widespread in Maine Saturday but had dropped to fewer than 50,000 by Sunday morning, according to PowerOutage.us.
Thousands of people were also without power in Canada. More than 100,000 utility customers remained without power in Nova Scotia, and about 12,000 homes and businesses in New Brunswick were still in the dark.
(PHOTOS: Lee Pounds Coast From New England To Atlantic Canada)
Lee made landfall with winds around 70 mph Saturday afternoon in Long Island, Nova Scotia, and later made a second landfall in New Brunswick.
"Lee will continue to be a large storm as it passes through eastern Canada through the remainder of this weekend," weather.com digital meteorologist Jonathan Belles said. "It will continue to bring heavy rain, gusty winds and rough seas, but conditions will improve from west to east into the early part of the upcoming week."
(MORE: Here's What We're Watching In The Tropics After Lee)
Big surf crashed onshore in parts of Rhode Island, Maine, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia and drivers were advised to check road conditions before traveling.
Here's a look at how Lee impacted people and communities in its path:
Massive Trees Crash Down
A massive tree smashed into a car as high winds hit Rockland, Maine. No one was hurt in the incident.
Rockland is on the coast between Portland and Bar Harbor. A combination of already saturated ground from wet weather and the wind from Lee was bringing down trees around the area, WGME-TV reported.
Large trees also came down in Massachusetts and parts of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick.
City of Saint John workers put caution tape around a large tree that fell in King's Square, in Saint John, New Brunswick, on Saturday, Sept. 16, 2023.State Of Emergency Lifted In Massachusetts
Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey lifted a state of emergency Saturday afternoon that was in place for Lee and also a separate one that had been issued after severe weather and flooding earlier in the week that damaged roads and bridges and brought down trees and power lines.
"I’m relieved that the impacts of Hurricane Lee have been minimal across Massachusetts, so we’re lifting the states of emergency declared earlier this week," Healey said in a social media update. "I’m grateful for residents and public safety officials who have been responding to and preparing for severe weather and flooding throughout the week. We’ll continue to support you as we rebuild and recover."
Flights Canceled, Change Fees Waived At Several Airports
Hundreds of flights were canceled or delayed at airports that could be affected by the storm, according to airline tracker FlightAware. That includes more than 250 flights to or from Boston Logan International. Airlines such as Southwest, United and Delta waived change fees at several airports for Saturday and Sunday including Boston; Portland and Bangor in Maine; and Providence, Rhode Island.
Ferry Service Canceled In Maine
All state ferry service in Maine was canceled for Saturday.
"If something significant changes with the weather, the captain of each vessel can make the call to sail at his discretion," the Maine Department of Transportation said in a social media post. "Normal operations are planned to resume on Sunday, September 17th."
A warning sign is displayed on Park Loop Rd. along shoreline closure at Acadia National Park in Maine on Saturday, Sept. 16, 2023.Huge Waves Pour Into Nova Scotia Lighthouse
A webcam showed huge waves crashing at Peggy's Cove lighthouse in Nova Scotia.
Rough conditions were also seen on the coast of Maine.
Canadian Community Fears Being Cut Off In A Major Storm
“There is one little slice of Canada that is on high alert,” weather.com meteorologist Danielle Banks said Friday.
That would be the Isthmus of Chignecto, a 13-mile stretch of marshland that connects Nova Scotia to the mainland.
“It is extremely vulnerable to flooding,” Banks said.
Earthen dikes built more than 400 years ago stand as protection.
“Rising sea levels cause water to reach the top now at spring high tides,” Banks said. “A major storm could overwhelm them and cut Nova Scotia off from the mainland.
Lobster Fisherman: ‘Batten Down Your Hatches’
“You just kind of dot all your i’s and cross all your t’s and get everything all put together,” Steven Mattson, who works on lobster boat out of Portland, Maine, told The Weather Channel Friday.
“You just get everything out of the water that you think might move too much and batten down your hatches.”
Boats were moved and lobster traps pulled ahead of the storm.
“We live off the weather,” Mattson said. “And if we don’t agree with it, we have to work with it. That’s the name of the game. We work with Mother Nature.”
Weather.com reporter Jan Childs covers breaking news and features related to weather, space, climate change, the environment and everything in between.
The Weather Company’s primary journalistic mission is to report on breaking weather news, the environment and the importance of science to our lives. This story does not necessarily represent the position of our parent company, IBM.
The Weather Company’s primary journalistic mission is to report on breaking weather news, the environment and the importance of science to our lives. This story does not necessarily represent the position of our parent company, IBM.
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