UPDATE: Port au Port Peninsula now accessible after road reopened

The public is advised that Route 460 at Felix Cove is now open. It had been closed earlier today wity heavy water flow over the road. With no alternate route, the Port au Port Peninsula was inaccessible forn a time.

Traffic on Route 450 at York Harbour is one-lane in sections, due to water over the road.

Route 463 in the West Bay area, Port au Port Peninsula, is closed due to flooding.

Travellers are advised to use caution in these areas. Department of Transportation and Works crews are dispatched to these locations.

The Corner Brook to Stephenville access road west-bound lanes are closed at Corner Brook Stream Bridge due to flooding.

Route 460 at Ship Cove is closed because of flooding.

The Department of Child, Youth and Family Services’ Piccadilly office to close until further notice. For inquiries, contact the Stephenville office at 709-643-8601.

In addition, Western Health would like to advise that the medical clinics in Degrau and Lourdes and the Community Health office in Piccadilly will be closed for the remainder of today due to weather and road conditions in the local area.  

Patients with emergencies are asked to contact Sir Thomas Roddick Hospital and/or the local ambulance services for urgent medical care.

 Patients with appointments will be contacted to re-schedule.

Heavy rainfall over western sections of the province will spread eastward overnight and into Tuesday, according to Environment Canada.

Rain at times heavy will continue for western Newfoundland this evening and into Tuesday with the forecasted arrival of tropical storm Leslie. In areas with the heaviest rain, 100 millimetres or more are possible over the next 36 hours.

A trough of low pressure will accelerate and steer Leslie toward southeastern Newfoundland where it is expected to make landfall as a marginal hurricane or strong tropical storm later Tuesday morning.

Meantime, Eastern Health is encourages residents to prepare for tropical storm Leslie.

For emergency updates pertaining to Eastern Health’s facilities or its operations, visit the Storm Watch section at Eastern Health’s website at www.easternhealth.ca. The Eastern Health region includes all communities on the Bonavista, Burin and Avalon peninsulas, from St. John’s to Port Blandford.

 According to Environment Canada, as Leslie interacts with the trough it will enhance the heavy rainfall already occurring with the trough as well as strengthen the winds behind it. However the strongest winds are most likely just to the right of Leslie's track at landfall where southeasterly gusts of 120 km/hour are currently expected. Hurricane watches are in effect for the areas most likely to see these right-of-track winds, taking into account the possibility of a slightly more westward track. Tropical storm warnings are now in effect for much of eastern Newfoundland.

In addition, tropical storm Leslie will bring very large waves and pounding surf to southern and eastern regions of the island Tuesday morning to afternoon. The highest impact is expected from the Burin Peninsula to the Southern Avalon where the largest waves and surge are expected.

These very large waves, pounding surf, and storm surge will coincide with a falling tide and as a result, impacts from higher high water levels are not expected at this time. However the approach speed of tropical storm Leslie could change within the next 24 hours which would increase the likelihood of potentially hazardous high water levels on Tuesday — therefore these very large waves, pounding surf, and storm surge have the potential to damage coastal infrastructure for coastlines exposed to the south and southeast.

Recommendations to help prepare for Leslie include:

• Create an updated list of emergency medical contact numbers and post it in an accessible place;

• Create an updated list of neighbours’ or friends’ contact numbers and post it in an accessible place;

• Keep a reasonable supply of prescription medications on hand;

• Ensure that medications and health care supplies are in a safe, secure and easily accessible location in the event of flooding or an emergency evacuation;

• Know how to access medical services in the community and surrounding areas during a communications outage or significant road closure;

• Have a plan in place for extra oxygen supply and backup electrical power in the event of a power outage;

• Have a plan in place for backup electrical power for use in home dialysis;

• For more information on how to prepare for emergency situations, please visit: www.getprepared.ca.