Sable Island update: Here's how the wild horses fared during Fiona
Nova Scotia's Sable Island is home to wild horses that were exposed to the fury of Fiona over the weekend. How did they fare? The Weather Network's Nathan Coleman has the details.
Jason Surette is one of only four people who rode out Hurricane Fiona on Nova Scotia's remote Sable Island.
The area is renowned for its wild horses, and today's population descends from animals introduced to the island in the 1700s. According to Parks Canada there are currently about 500 horses living there.
Surette says when Fiona roared in the nights were sleepless, but the staff was "never in jeopardy."
"We lost a considerable amount of siding, and we have roofing damage," Surette told The Weather Network.
"We're assessing that now and Parks Canada senior management is helping us develop a plan to do some repairs."
Ripped siding on a building on Sable Island. (Jason Surette/Parks Canada)
How did the horses fare?
"The storm hit overnight, so it was hard to take a look, but I suspect that they, like they traditionally do, found a nice calm spot in the dunes, and by midday Saturday they were out grazing per usual almost as if nothing happened," Surette said.
There are weather instruments on the island but Fiona put the satellite dishes out of alignment, so the maximum wind speed on the island hasn't been recorded yet.
Surette says it will take some time to access that information.
