Today the Honourable Tom Hedderson, Minister of Transportation and Works, Acting Minister for Municipal Affairs and Minister Responsible for Emergency Preparedness, provided details of the extent of damage cause by Hurricane Igor to the province, the response efforts by the Provincial Government, and information on next steps.

"It is hard to describe the scope of the devastation that I saw when I toured the impacted areas of the province this week," said Minister Hedderson. "The magnitude of the losses people are dealing with are huge, and none greater than the loss of life in Random Island. It will take some time for us to rebuild from such devastation and I want to assure residents that dealing with the impacts of Hurricane Igor is the highest priority for our government."

Minister Hedderson provided an overview of the wide-scale impacts on communities and infrastructure in affected areas.

• At the height of Hurricane Igor wind speeds were in excess of 170 kilometers per hour in some areas;
• Rainfall amounts reached nearly 240 millimeters in parts of the province;
• Approximately 90 communities were isolated because of washouts and road closures;
• Some communities have been hit very hard, with widespread damage and destruction to homes, vehicles and personal possessions. The scope of the damages within communities is broad, with reports of road breakages, bridge washouts and water and sewer damage;
• The Provincial Government was advised that 22 communities had declared States of Emergency. Four have since lifted that designation.

The minister noted that traffic flow has been reinstated on the Trans-Canada Highway and the Department of Transportation and Works is working diligently to re-establish connections on the Burin and Bonavista Peninsula Highways and other affected areas. It is estimated that approximately 30 communities remain isolated, and it is anticipated that by Monday this number should be cut in half. Response personnel on the ground are feeding information into the Provincial Emergency Operations Center about how communities are coping and how to co-coordinate efforts to alleviate their needs.

"The extent of damage to our road infrastructure is simply colossal in nature but we are making headway," said Minister Hedderson. "The Trans-Canda Highway is open and we hope to have the major routes on the Bonavista and Burin Peninsulas reopened and reconnected to the Trans-Canada Highway by Sunday or Monday. Repairs to some local roads, however, will take considerably longer, leaving some communities isolated for at least the next week or so. We are also working to reconnect communities on Random Island and the Southeast Arm area with the goal of having connections re-established for all communities in these areas by the middle of next week."

The Department of Transportation and Works has established marine and air support for communities isolated as a result of Hurricane Igor. A ferry vessel stationed at Clarenville will be dedicated to moving supplies to isolated communities on the Bonavista Peninsula.　 A second ferry vessel is also positioned at Portugal Cove, awaiting shipments of gasoline to be taken to Marystown. As well, two helicopters are stationed at Clarenville to be dedicated exclusively to addressing any essential transportation requirements to and from isolated communities. Communities which have a need for marine or air support should contact Fire and Emergency Services at 729-1608 or 729-3703.

In addition, the Provincial Government has requested from the Government of Canada the provision of support from the Department of National Defense. The specific support being requested consists of Sea King helicopters and the ship-based naval support necessary to maintain operation of these helicopters, which have night flying and heavy lifting capabilities.

"One of our main focuses right now is communities that are isolated due to road breakages and bridge washouts," said Minister Hedderson. "We have made contact with many of these communities to determine their individual situations and are continuing to take stock of the damages. We currently have over 370 employees and approximately 12 contractors working diligently to reconnect roads, assess bridge damage, perform water and sewer repairs and other repairs to provincial and municipal infrastructure."

Information packages containing details of the province's disaster assistance program are being distributed to communities and are available on the government website through the link Hurricane Igor Aftermath (www.gov.nl.ca). Applications will be available from town council offices in the affected communities once connection has been reestablished. Officials with Fire and Emergency Services — Newfoundland and Labrador will be on the ground in select areas to provide a series of public information sessions in the coming days to assist residents in completing the required documentation.

"The outpouring of support from community members and volunteers during this trying time has been heartfelt and overwhelming," said Minister Hedderson. "In volunteer fire halls and community centers across the affected areas, residents have helped stranded travelers and neighbours suffering great loss by providing warmth and companionship. Rebuilding will be a collective effort as we set our sights on restoration and continue to demonstrate the compassion and resilience of the people of our province."

In addition to details of the disaster assistance program, the Provincial Government website also provides information on road conditions, access to emergency social services, and other relevant information.

• Video of News Conference (WMV)
• Damage Caused by Hurricane Igor (PDF)
• Hurricane Igor Recovery Progress: Burin Peninsula (PDF)
• Hurricane Igor Recovery Progress: Bonavista Peninsula (PDF)

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The following is a status update on the Department of Transportation and Works' efforts to restore road connections damaged by Hurricane Igor as of 12:00 p.m. today (Friday, September 24):

• The Trans-Canada Highway (TCH) is now open. Significant breaches at Port Blandford, Gambo and Terra Nova National Park are now restored to passable condition but motorists must still exercise caution.
   
• Two bridge failures at Long Pond and Rattle Brook have severed the Burin Peninsula's connection to the TCH.　 The Long Pond Bridge had been restored to passable condition but is now closed for re-evaluation. A Bailey bridge is currently being installed at Rattle Brook. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, the department is aiming to restore this link to passable condition by Sunday or Monday.
   
• A major breach on the Burin Peninsula which had separated Marystown from Grand Bank has been restored to passable condition.
   
• Connection has been re-established to the community of Monkstown on the Burin Peninsula.
   
• On the Bonavista Highway, a washout on the approach to the Barbour Bridge, near Charleston, had severed the Bonavista Peninsula's link to the TCH.　 The bridge approach has been restored to passable condition giving work crews and equipment access to other damaged areas and restoring access to the communities of Southern Bay, Princeton and Summerville.
   
• Also on the Bonavista Peninsula, connection has been restored between Jamestown and Winter Brook giving access to Route 230.
   
• There are still several significant breaches on the Bonavista Peninsula which must be addressed before the peninsula's link to the TCH is passable.　 The department is aiming to address these breaches and restore a passable road connection by Sunday or Monday.
   
• Within the Avalon Peninsula region, more than half of the damaged roads have been restored to passable condition and no communities remain isolated.
   
• On the Burin Peninsula, the community of Petite Forte remains without a road link.　 The link to Petite Forte will take some time. As an interim measure, a ferry service can be provided to Petite Forte and Southeast Bight.
   
• Even after the Bonavista Highway is restored to passable condition, there will still be approximately 12 communities without a road link.　 The links to these communities cannot be effectively addressed until the Bonavista Highway is restored to provide work crews and equipment access to storm damaged areas.
   
• Of particular concern are communities on the northwest shore between Summerville and Amherst Cove.　 There are numerous, significant road breaches which must be addressed.　 It may take 7-10 days to re-establish links to all of these communities.
   
• Also of concern are communities in the area of Trouty to New Bonaventure, which have significant road breaches which will take time to repair.
   
• There are also communities in the Harcourt-Burgoyne's Cove area without a road link. The department expects to have these re-established in the next day or so.
   
• The connection to Britannia on Random Island is expected to be restored by Saturday evening. Connections between Britannia, Lower Lance Cove and Aspey Brook are expected to be made by Wednesday (September 29).
   
• The connection on Route 204 at Hodges Cove is expected to be completed by tomorrow and to all communities to Southport by Wednesday (September 29).
   
• The connection for Route 205 from the Trans Canada Highway to St. Jones Within should be completed late today.　 A further breach in the community of St. Jones Within should be repaired temporarily by Sunday evening.

Please note that information may change quickly, as progress is made in reconnecting roads. Further information can be found at www.gov.nl.ca.