Hurricane Larry wipes out power, trees across St. John’s, people urged to stay home

ST. JOHN’S, N.L. —
People in eastern Newfoundland are waking up to downed trees and debris in the road and widespread power outages after hurricane Larry pounded the Avalon peninsula Friday night.

Photos posted to social media during the night show large parts of the roof of a St. John’s elementary school blown clear off the building.

The Royal Newfoundland Constabulary says roads are covered in debris across the peninsula and the force is asking residents to stay off the streets as officers report fallen trees and power lines.

In a tweet this morning, Newfoundland Power assured the tens of thousands of people without power in the region that crews hit the ground at first light to start making repairs.

The National Hurricane Centre says hurricane Larry made landfall as a Category 1 storm just after midnight local time.

The storm crashed inland on the western shores of Placentia Bay on the Burin Peninsula with maximum sustained winds of 130 kilometres per hour, bringing heavy rain and pounding seas.