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Monday, August 29, 2011

Saint John Area Battered By High Winds From Hurricane

Those high winds which are gusting up to more than 80 kilometers an hour are wreaking damage in the Saint John area with downed power lines on Sherbrooke Street, at Coral Lane and along Sand Cove Road where a tree fell damaging a car.

A tree also fell across the road near the Co-Op just off Westfield Road as you make your way to Grand Bay-Westfield and another one came down on Watson Street at King Street West. In the Valley, a couple of trees blew over on Southwood Drive in Quispamsis.

Acting District Chief Kevin Clinic says fire crews and police were called to Saint's Rest Beach to move people away after the waves crested and washed over onto the parking lot. Barricades have also been set up at the end of Sea Street at Bayshore and at the Red Head breakwater.

Highway 121 between Norton and Apohaqui had to be closed to traffic because of a couple of hydro poles that have blown over. NB Power is reporting more than 33 thousand customers across the province are without power including over 51 hundred in the Rothesay District which includes Grand Bay-Westfield.

We have been told by the Department of Transportation that both ferries at Gondola Point are off their runs along with the one at Belle Isle and the Peninsula Princess because of the high winds. The Princess of Acadia's run has also been cancelled.

Stephen Hatt of the Canadian Hurricane Centre in Dartmouth tells CHSJ News it could get even windier before starting to die down this afternoon. By tonight, the winds are expected to be light.