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    The blizzard that buried St. John’s: photos and videos

    A state of emergency was declared in St. John’s and other parts of Newfoundland as a huge storm buried houses and cars in snowdrifts

    Maclean's
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    A woman makes her way through the snow-covered streets in St. John’s on Jan. 17, 2020 (CP/Andrew Vaughan

    Even by Newfoundland and Labrador standards, this was an epic one. Winds hit upwards of 160 km/h and 76 cm of new snow fell in parts of the Avalon and Bonavista Peninsulas overnight in a storm that seemed more like a hurricane than a blizzard. Snow drifts buried houses and cars as St. John’s and other nearby communities declared a state of emergency. A statement from the city said the declaration “will remain in effect until further notice… All businesses are ordered to remain closed.”

    https://twitter.com/jamespmcleod/status/1218537061097132032?s=20

    In the Battery area of St. John’s, an avalanche hit a house last night, forcing the evacuation of the neighbourhood. Everyone in the house escaped safely, reported the Telegram.

    https://twitter.com/CochraneCBC/status/1218343090164989952?s=20

    The mayor of Bonavista, John Norman, said waves were hitting the third floor of his home last night. Wind gusts were recorded as high as 164 km/h. He told the CBC: “I assumed being one of those residents being close to the water I’d hear something … but to hear it go over your roof and rain down over your roof, it’s quite something.” Environment Canada is warning of a storm surge along the Bonavista Peninsula today with waves as high as 12 m.

    More from Twitter:

    https://twitter.com/bobhallett/status/1218508660474818560?s=20

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