ST. JOHN’S, Newfoundland – Hurricane Igor pelted eastern Canada with heavy rain today, flooding communities, washing out roads and stranding some residents in their homes. In the Pacific, a mild tropical storm formed and was expected to cross the Mexican resort area of Baja California later in the day.
The Canadian Hurricane Centre said Igor had transformed into a “post-tropical” storm, which has a different structure from a hurricane but still packs the same punch. The storm was battering Newfoundland, on Canada’s eastern coast.
The Hurricane Centre said the change in classification does not reflect a downgrade in the storm’s intensity because winds have strengthened as the storm draws energy from another weather system to the west.
“This is not your normal heavy rainfall flooding. It’s having a major impact,” said Chris Fogarty, of the Canadian Hurricane Centre. He said more than 200 millimeters (8 inches) of rain have already fallen in some regions in the past few hours.
Royal Canadian Mounted Police Sgt. Boyd Merrill said they are investigating a report of a missing 80-year old man who was reportedly washed into the sea this morning on Random Island when a driveway collapsed from underneath him due to heavy water flow. Merrill said police and the coast guard have not been able to access the island.
