Residents of coastal N.L. town sift through rubble of their homes after Fiona

Neighbours in the small community of Burnt Islands, N.L., are helping each other clean through the rubble of their former homes.

The road leading into one part of the coastal community in southwestern Newfoundland has been ripped up and is blocked with the remains of houses that were damaged by post-tropical storm Fiona.

Officials in the community said people living in one home behind the damaged road are stranded, bringing urgency to the debris-removal work.

Paula Keeping’s house, which once faced the sea, is now crumpled into itself in the middle of the street after it was pushed metres off its foundation by the intense surge last week.

She’s still processing the shock but says she’s unlikely to rebuild so close to the ocean.

Across the town, neighbours are picking up shovels and bringing in heavy equipment to assist with the cleanup.

22:08 Global National: September 26

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 28, 2022.