Thousands of people were still without power Sunday because of the post-tropical storm lee gradually left the Maritimes, leaving behind a trail of fallen trees and shores damaged by huge waves.

By midday Sunday, the storm had passed Prince Edward Island and entered the Gulf of St. Lawrence, where it was expected to pass west of the Magdalen Islands and reach northern Newfoundland by evening.

“Given that it is such a large storm, some areas will continue to feel the winds for a few hours… But certainly not as strong as they were as we approached the Maritimes, so they will continue to weaken,” said Bob Robichaud of the Canadian Hurricane Center.

The storm has left large amounts of rain in eastern Gaspésie since Saturday morning. In general it fell from 40 to 55 millimeters, in Gaspé even to 113 millimeters. About 10 additional millimeters are expected in this region on Sunday, Environment Canada said. The rain will also continue on the north coast, where 20 to 30 millimeters more is expected by Sunday evening.

Shelburne, in southwestern Nova Scotia, experienced the full force of the storm when lee Flooding occurred in the city on Saturday due to a strong storm surge in the harbor.

local time, nearly 13,000 homes and businesses in Bridgewater were still without power Sunday. Only Halifax reported more outages, with 16,000.

In Bridgewater and other nearby towns, fast-food restaurant business was brisk as residents without power stopped for coffee, a hot meal and internet access. Marlene Ramey was among those enjoying her morning cuppa.

“I went to Tim and [des voitures en file] There were lines all the way to the highway, but I wanted my coffee so I stayed! » she said laughing.

Nova Scotia Power said about 800 people in communities across the province were working to restore power.

At the height of the storm on Saturday, outages affected around 277,000 customers in Nova Scotia, with winds toppling trees onto power lines.

On Grand Manan Island, New Brunswick, where more than 100 millimeters of rain fell, the village’s mayor, Bonnie Morse, said there was no major flooding.

“There were a few swimming pools on the street, but nothing important warranted closing the street,” the mayor said.

Although there were power outages, NB Power staff quickly restored power to most homes and businesses in the area, Ms. said.^Me Walrus.

“Today everyone is busy clearing up fallen trees and branches, but overall we did a pretty good job,” she said.

In St. George, New Brunswick, the only evidence of it lee The man who had crossed the area was at Canal Beach, where a metal jetty had been pulled a few meters and was partially submerged.

Deborah Breau, who works at the toll booth at the nearby Blacks Harbor ferry terminal, said the storm wasn’t as bad as she expected.

“She tore down my fence and a few trees fell,” she testified.

In Halifax, authorities took stock of the damage caused by strong gusts Saturday and a storm surge that hurled large rocks onto some coastal roads.

As cleanup efforts continued, the city had to contend with up to 130 fallen trees and washed-away roads.

“The roads still need to be worked on, but are passable with caution,” said Erica Fleck, the municipality’s emergency management director.

She said excavators were used overnight to clear debris particularly from the road to Peggy’s Cove, which was littered with large rocks and other debris.

“Our biggest issue right now is the lack of power and intermittent cell and internet service due to Bell outages,” Fleck said.

For his part, Bob Robichaud confirmed the storm lee caused no surprises for weather forecast experts.

“We predicted a strong tropical or post-tropical storm, and that’s exactly what we got,” he said. We had wind speeds of over 100 kilometers per hour, but just below hurricane force. »

The storm was expected to drop between 30 and 50 millimeters of rain, with the possibility of flash flooding and flooding. The showers should subside in the evening.

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