Hurricane Joaquin creates rough surf off Atlantic Canada
While Atlantic Canada may have escaped the wrath of Hurricane Joaquin, the storm is still making its presence known.
The U.S. National Hurricane Center is warning swells generated by the storm are increasing along the Atlantic Canadian coast. Large waves are expected to continue over the next day or two as the storm moves offshore towards the United Kingdom.
The storm remains powerful after battering the Carolinas over the weekend.
However, what actually reaches the coast of Atlantic Canada will not be the 12- to 14-metre swells near the eye of the storm which is far off the coast today, says Bob Robichaud, weather preparedness meteorologist with Environment Canada.
Robichaud says there's no particular precautions Maritimers need to take, but warns that waves of two to three metres are expected today before subsiding this evening.
"You need to stay a good distance back from where the waves are crashing. You might think you are at a safe distance based on the first 10, but the 11th wave may comes in farther and bigger," he says.
"Always pay attention and obey any safety signs in the area."
Hurricane Joaquin batters Bahamas
Hurricane Joaquin also destroyed houses, uprooted trees and unleashed heavy flooding as it hurled torrents of rain across the Bahamas on Friday.
The U.S. Coast Guard says the storm is responsible for sinking the cargo ship El Faro. The vessel lost power Thursday and was taking on water in dangerous seas churned up by the hurricane. There were 33 people on board.
Four days after the ship vanished, the coast guard concluded it sank near the Bahamas in about 4,570 metres of water. One unidentified body in a survival suit was spotted, and the search went on for any trace of the other crew members.
