On September 7, 2019, at 5 p.m. EDT, Nova Scotia started to experience hurricane-force winds. By 7 p.m. EDT, the eye of the storm passed over Halifax while tropical storm conditions were being felt in Prince Edward Island. As of September 8, approximately 412,000 customers in Nova Scotia lost power, accounting for approximately 80 percent of the province, as well as 80,000 customers in New Brunswick. Flooding was reported, roofs were torn off buildings, and a crane also collapsed onto a building being constructed. The collapse led to local evacuations for some residents and businesses. First responders evacuated 31 people from a campground in Prince Edward Island early Sunday morning as it was inundated by storm surge. Though Dorian was post-tropical on arrival, winds off the coast of Nova Scotia were estimated to reach 155 km/h (96 mph), equivalent to a Category 2 hurricane. Rainfall totals were highest in Mahone Bay, Nova Scotia, which received 161 mm (6.3 in) of rain. Various stations across Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island recorded rainfall amounts in excess of 130 mm (5.1 in). Several stations recorded winds higher than 130 km/h (81 mph), with the highest gusts recorded in Grand Étang, Nova Scotia, at 155 km/h (96 mph). In the Cavendish area of Prince Edward Island National Park, 80 percent of trees suffered damage from the high winds, and storm surge caused 2 metres (6.6 ft) of coastal erosion. Winds of 120 km/h (75 mph) also affected the Magdalen Islands of Quebec in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence. 7,000 customers were without power there at one point, representing nearly all customers on the islands. On the night of September 7, a buoy off the coast of Newfoundland detected a 100 ft (30 m) rogue wave, which had been generated by Dorian's winds. Insurance damage across the region was estimated at C$105 million (US$78.9 million), with power grid damage in Nova Scotia alone accounting for $39 million (Canadian) by Nova Scotia Power, making it the costliest storm in Nova Scotia Power's history.
On September 6, NOAA published an unsigned statement which supported Trump's initial claim that Alabama was a target of the storm and criticized the Birmingham NWS office for denying it. It was later revealed that NOAA had been ordered to issue such a statement by Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, and that he had been told by Acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney to get NOAA to support Trump's original statement that Alabama was threatened. This direct White House involvement raised questions about political influence over NOAA, and is under investigation by multiple agencies including NOAA's acting chief scientist, the inspector general of the Commerce Department, and the House of Representatives committee which oversees NOAA.
More InfoPuerto Rico Wanda Vázquez Garced declared a state of emergency for the territory on August 27. The following day, the Puerto Rico National Guard was activated to support any relief operations related to the storm. Fears centered around the still-unstable power grid which was largely destroyed by Maria; hundreds of utility workers were deployed to quickly fix any outages.. In some areas, power lines remained affixed to palm trees. An estimated 30,000 homes still had damaged roofs from the 2017 hurricane. Territory-wide, 360 shelters with a collective capacity of 48,500 persons opened; 24,000 cots were distributed to these shelters. A state of emergency was declared for the United States Virgin Islands on August 28. Curfews were enacted for the British and United States Virgin Islands for the duration of the hurricane.
More InfoIsabel Saint Malo de Alvarado, Vice President of Panama, said in an op-ed piece published April 21 in The Guardian that President Juan Carlos Varela and his administration have strengthened Panama's controls over money-laundering in the twenty months they have been in power, and that "Panama is setting up an independent commission, co-chaired by the Nobel laureate Joseph Stiglitz, to evaluate our financial system, determine best practices, and recommend measures to strengthen global financial and legal transparency. We expect its findings within the next six months, and will share the results with the international community."
More InfoMarsh Harbour received "catastrophic damage", according to an ABC News team. Over 75% of the homes had been damaged, Marsh Harbour International Airport's runway was underwater, there was significant flooding on streets and beaches, damage to trees and with some home's roofs ripped off entirely. The scene was described by an ABC reporter as "pure hell". An eight-year-old boy drowned in the storm surge, while the boy's sister was also reported to be missing. Four other people, along with the eight-year-old boy, were confirmed dead on the Abaco Islands, the prime minister told reporters on Monday. By Wednesday, the death toll had been raised to twenty, according to the prime minister. This soon increased to forty-three by Saturday. However, a Bahamas newspaper suggested that the actual death toll could be over 3,000.
More InfoThe Municipality of Regulation and Supervision of Financial Subjects [not the Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF)] initiated a special review of the law firm Mossack Fonseca to determine whether it had followed tax law. Carlamara Sanchez, in charge of this proceeding, said at a press conference that the quartermaster had come to verify whether the firm had complied since April 8 with due diligence, customer knowledge, the final beneficiary and reporting of suspicious transactions to Financial Analysis Unit (UAF) operations. She said that Law 23 of 2015 empowers regulation and supervision and said some firms had been monitored since late last year with special attention after the Panama Papers, and noted that the law carries fines $5,000 to $1 million or even suspension of the firm.
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