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‘This is nuts’: Newfoundland’s snowstorm in photos

Click to play video: 'Timelapse shows snow accumulate amid Newfoundland blizzard'
Timelapse shows snow accumulate amid Newfoundland blizzard
WATCH: Timelapse video shows snow piling up outside a St. John's home over two hours as a state of emergency was declared in the Newfoundland capital – Jan 17, 2020

The storm battering the eastern part of Newfoundland is one residents won’t soon forget.

A large section of the island — including the city of St. John’s, Avalon Peninsula, Clarenville and Bonavista Peninsula — is under a blizzard warning Saturday with a total snowfall of 35 to 75 centimetres expected.

Click to play video: 'Clean-up efforts underway in St. John’s two days after massive snowstorm'
Clean-up efforts underway in St. John’s two days after massive snowstorm

An Environment Canada meteorologist said 51 cm of snow had been measured at St. John’s International Airport as of 6:30 p.m NT.

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Click to play video: 'Newfoundlanders dig out as blizzard hits St. John’s'
Newfoundlanders dig out as blizzard hits St. John’s
A pedestrian braves extreme conditions as he walks in St. John’s on Friday, Jan. 17, 2020. The City of St. John’s has declared a state of emergency, ordering businesses closed and vehicles off the roads as blizzard conditions descend on the Newfoundland and Labrador capital. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Andrew Vaughan.

Wind gusts were forecast to be as high as 120 kilometres per hour — and up to 150 kilometres per hour along parts of the coast, according to Environment Canada.

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Click to play video: 'Snow plows working to clear roads as quick as possible as Newfoundland hammered by storm'
Snow plows working to clear roads as quick as possible as Newfoundland hammered by storm

With such high winds, there’s also a storm surge warning in effect for some areas, with maximum wave heights of nine to 12 metres expected.

Here’s a look at some of the sights and sounds of the storm:

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Click to play video: 'Large portion of Newfoundland under blizzard warning as winds, snow batter island'
Large portion of Newfoundland under blizzard warning as winds, snow batter island

The City of St. John’s declared a state of emergency at 11 a.m. Friday.

All businesses were told to close, though many buildings were already shuttered for the day. All vehicles except first responders were ordered off the road.

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“Please return home until the order is lifted,” the city said in a tweet.

Click to play video: 'Newfoundland blizzard has many residents snowed in, cars buried by snow drifts'
Newfoundland blizzard has many residents snowed in, cars buried by snow drifts

https://twitter.com/ScienceMercer/status/1218253779650392064/photo/1

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The declaration was the first in decades, according to the city’s mayor.

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Mayor Danny Breen told the St. John’s Telegram that the last time the city declared a state of emergency — at least, to his knowledge — was during an ice storm in 1984.

Click to play video: 'Tracking the system bringing NL’s monster storm'
Tracking the system bringing NL’s monster storm

“What’s different this time from the past (is) we’ve had bad storms and we’ve had bad wind storms, but we’ve never had both of them in one, really, at this level. And we also have 170 cm of snow on the ground,” he told the paper.

https://twitter.com/etrevorpowell/status/1218203874869350401

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Based on the forecast, the City of St. John’s announced Thursday that its facilities, including the Robin Hood Bay landfill and City Hall, would be closing on Friday.

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Officials urged residents to make sure they had medications, a battery-operated radio and any emergency kit at the ready.

“Be ready to cope on your own for at least 72 hours,” the city said in a message on its website.

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The city’s public transportation service, Metrobus, had also pre-emptively announced it would not be operating Friday.

Cab operator Jiffy said in compliance with the state of emergency, it was pulling all of its vehicles off the roads.

“First time in company history,” Jiffy Cabs said in a tweet.

A man walks down the middle of New Gower Street in St. John’s as a major winter storm hits the Avalon Peninsula on Friday, Jan. 17, 2020. Schools, government offices and most businesses are closed due to the blizzard conditions. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Andrew Vaughan. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Andrew Vaughan

The nearby municipalities of Portugal Cove-St. Philips, Torbay, Mount Pearl, Conception Bay South and Paradise have declared their own states of emergency.

Click to play video: 'One snowplow takes on the aftermath of St. John’s historic snowfall aftermath'
One snowplow takes on the aftermath of St. John’s historic snowfall aftermath

Highway conditions were so dangerous that most of the provincial government’s plow depots suspended operations in the eastern part of the province including the Avalon Peninsula, which is home to roughly 270,000 people.

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The blizzard also brought St. John’s International Airport to a near standstill.

As of Friday afternoon, nearly all incoming and outgoing flights were cancelled, the airport’s website shows.

https://twitter.com/tammyharris96/status/1218232018758184961
https://twitter.com/iamcaseydog/status/1218206279111454720

The Red Cross urged residents to take safety precautions.

“Check on your neighbours,” the agency said on Twitter. “Continue to take precautions and listen to and follow directions from local authorities. NEVER use a generator, BBQ, propane inside an enclosed area.”

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https://twitter.com/hirider750/status/1218242115207155715

As of late Friday afternoon, a few thousand households had lost electricity, according to Newfoundland Power.

Severe conditions and “impassable roads” are preventing its crews from accessing areas affected by outages, the utility said.

The company also warned residents to be prepared for wider outages.

https://twitter.com/canredcrossnl/status/1218197691341135872

 

 

Environment Canada says the storm could last another 24 hours, though conditions were expected to improve Saturday morning.

https://twitter.com/BrianWalshWX/status/1218217817041965056
https://twitter.com/dddouglas__/status/1218197996912902149

“To everyone in N.L. affected by the storm, please listen to your local authorities,” tweeted Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

“We want you to stay safe, and keep the roads clear for emergency vehicles and snow clearing. (Public Safety Minister) Bill Blair is in contact with the province and is monitoring the situation. We’re ready to help if needed.”

Premier Dwight Ball thanked essential workers for their efforts to keep residents safe during the storm.

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