Body of missing 73-year-old Port aux Basques woman found following storm Fiona

The body of a 73-year old woman from Port aux Basques, Newfoundland, was found shortly before 4 p.m. Sunday, the RCMP confirmed.

The woman was reported missing on Saturday morning after her home was damaged by Hurricane Fiona.

“With assistance from the Canadian Coast Guard, as well as Stephenville and Barachois Search and Rescue teams, the woman was recovered. She is being transported to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner for further examination,” the RCMP said in a news release.

“RCMP NL offers deepest condolences to the family and friends of the missing woman and thanks all who assisted in the search and recovery.”

During a press conference Sunday, Bill Blair, Canada’s minister of emergency preparedness, said the tragedy is a reminder of “how truly dangerous that storm has been.”

The woman’s name has not been released.

Her death marks the first confirmed fatality connected to the storm.

Gudie Hutchings, minister of rural economic development, whose home is in Newfoundland, said she will be on the ground soon to send her condolences to the woman’s family.

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“Port aux Basques is a small town, around 4,000 people. Everybody knows everybody,” she said Sunday. “It shows the power of the water.”

2:03 Hurricane warning lifted for Halifax as Storm Fiona wreaks havoc on eastern Canada

Fiona made landfall early Saturday morning, bringing severe wind, heavy rain, and leaving hundreds of thousands without power across eastern Canada.

The fierce storm toppled a number of trees across the region, with some falling into power lines, cars and houses, and there have been multiple reports of blocked and washed-out roads as crews begin assessing damage in areas where the storm has already passed.

1:03 Storm Fiona: Federal government approves requests for assistance for PEI, Newfoundland and Labrador

— With files from Global News’ Aya Al-Hakim & The Canadian Press