Newfoundland town hit by hurricane force winds that destroy house, damage others

LARK HARBOUR, N.L. – A town on Newfoundland’s west coast has suffered considerable damage after being hit by hurricane force winds Friday.

RCMP say one house in Lark Harbour has been destroyed and many others have been damaged.

Police say travel trailers have been blown over and power lines have been knocked down.

They are advising residents to stay indoors until the winds die down and are asking outsiders not to travel to the area until it’s safe to do so.

Environment Canada says parts of Newfoundland’s west coast were pounded by winds that gusted between 100 to 176 km/h.

Meteorologist Dale Foote says it was part of a major storm that pushed up from the U.S.

Foote says communities on the coast are prone to these types of high winds known as downslope winds.

“They’re (the winds) enhanced because of the temperature structure of the upper atmosphere and the mountain range so what happens is that local areas get these enhanced winds,” Foote said in an interview Friday.

Foote said the worst of the winds passed through Friday afternoon.