Thousands are without power as Larry makes landfall as a powerful category 1 hurricane.

Reports of damage to buildings and downed power lines are coming in as Larry batters the area. Reports of coastal flooding are coming in from some areas as well.

The worst of the stom is not over yet, as the strongest impacts are expected to be felt for a few more hours.

Environment Canada’s Bob Robichaud briefed media on the most current track of the storm earlier this afternoon.

Those winds are expected to top out around 130 kilometres an hour but with gusts that could exceed that.

Storm surge warnings are out for south-facing coastlines from the Burin Peninsula to the southeast Avalon. Maximum wave height could be 12-m before breaking up as they reach shore.

Southerly winds will gust to 110 km/h off the Avalon but to 140 km/h in exposed areas of the Avalon, possibly even reaching 150-160.

The hurricane centre says it’s a fast-moving storm, at about 70 km/h, and will be going even faster later tonight. The fact that it’s moving fast means less rainfall but more wind on the right of the track. The track will pass through the western Avalon around midnight and because of the speed with which it is moving, the high winds will be to the right of the track – in other words, most of the Avalon Peninsula.

For context, Hurricane Igor dumped over 200mm of rain while Larry will bring only about 30mm.

The Avalon is under a hurricane warning while the region from Bonavista to Terra Nova and Harbour Breton, including Marystown and Clarenville, is under a tropical storm warning.

The trees are still full of leaves, which means that residents can expect some damage from fallen trees and broken limbs as well as the possibility of power outages.

Warning Preparedness Meteorologist with the Canadian Hurricane Centre, Bob Robichaud, says the fast-moving storm will move through St. Mary’s Bay, passing through the St. John’s Metro area overnight tonight.

He says residents of the metro area will start to notice drizzle move in in the early evening before winds start to pick up late at night. The worst of it will come between midnight and 4:00 a.m. according to Robichaud.

Hurricane Larry continues to move towards NL. Hurricane and tropical storm watches have been upgrade to warnings for parts of the island. Damaging winds, dangerous surf and high water levels are expected Friday night. pic.twitter.com/MnaTt0TSvp

— ECCC Canadian Hurricane Centre (@ECCC_CHC) September 9, 2021

South facing coastlines will experience storm surge with waves in the 7-10 metre range according to Doug Mercer of the Canadian Hurricane Centre.

He expects the storm to result in coastal erosion as well as damage to built infrastructure along south-facing coastlines.

Mercer says the eastern Avalon should escape the worst of the surge as Cape Spear serves as a barrier.

However, he says Holyrood sticks out like a sore thumb so the beach there could take a pounding.

With stormy weather from #Larry expected tomorrow, our teams are preparing so we can be ready to respond if needed. Learn more about how Hydro gets ready for severe weather, as well as some tips on how you can prepare, too: https://t.co/UkfSTVv9CB #LarryNL

— NLHydro (@NLHydro) September 9, 2021

Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro has taken a number of steps to prepare for tonight’s storm.

Hydro’s operations teams have completed their severe weather protocols and checklists, and line crews and operations staff will be on standby to respond as quickly as possible to potential outages and damage.

Main transmission lines have been patrolled by helicopter to check for potential risks like trees that could come down on lines. More line patrols will be done once the storm passes to identify damage.

Maintenance staff will be stationed at the Holyrood Thermal Generating Station to troubleshoot if the need arises and contractors are on standby for urgent repairs to poles if necessary.

Hydro is strongly encouraging people to take precautions and be prepared in case of power outages and other disruptions.

Some flights have already been cancelled at St. John’s International Airport and similar notifications are expected to come in fast and furious throughout today. However, the airport anticipates that flights will be able to come in again on Saturday.

Kirk White, Director of Operations at the Airport, says they have advised local carriers of what actions they should take ahead of Hurricane Larry’s arrival.

As well, he says the airport’s infrastructure and operational teams have been busy clearing out any debris, and tying down and storing away equipment. As for tonight and tomorrow, they have staff at the ready.

Tonight, he says there’ll be extra staff on hand from the emergency services and operations departments. Then, tomorrow morning they’ll have even more staff come in for the potential cleanup.

Based on Larry’s track, White expects that flights will be able to fly into the airport on Saturday.

Sea swell is the main concern for Marine Atlantic, as delays are anticipated in its Port aux Basques crossings. Spokesperson Darrell Mercer says customers will be notified about rescheduling cancelled trips.

The breakwater at the Foxtrap Marina in CBS has seen a fair bit of damage due to storm surges two years in a row resulting in costly repairs. Mayor Terry French says they’re hoping the breakwater which was upgraded earlier this year, holds.

He says damage caused by Snowmageddon was repaired to the tune of $900,000 dollars in federal and provincial funding, but they could only put back what was already there. Then the storm surges in January of this year caused even more damage, resulting in repairs to 200 metres of the breakwater costing the town “a couple of million dollars…a significant undertaking,” French says, “for a town our size.”

Drivers should consider the forecast before travelling in Eastern Newfoundland this weekend. Plan ahead and check the provincial road conditions using the NL 511 app or visit nl511.ca.

First responders, members of the public wishing to report urgent highway conditions, or motorists looking for recent road condition information can contact the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure:

•Avalon: 709-729-7669
•Eastern: 709-466-4160
•Central: 709-292-4444
•Western: 709-635-4144
•Labrador: 709-896-7888