PHOTOS: 'Bomb cyclone' causes explosions, flooding in Atlantic Canada
Heavy rain and powerful wind gusts took aim at already-vulnerable areas of the Maritimes on Thursday, just one month after the destruction from post-tropical Dorian.
Widespread warnings covered much of the Maritimes on Thursday as the first weather bomb of the season brought heavy rain and damaging winds to the region, which caused localized flooding and terrifying power line explosions.
This storm, which officially reached "bomb cyclone" status by dropping 24 millibars in pressure in 24 hours, was much weaker than the strength of post-tropical storm Dorian last month, but still targeted areas that were hit hard and left vulnerable back in September.
"We get strong winds like this in Atlantic Canada a few times a year," explains Weather Network meteorologist Dr. Doug Gillham, "but usually it happens in the winter when the leaves are off the trees." Leaves add more wind resistance and add weight. That, combined with the fact that several trees were likely weakened by the impact from Dorian caused numerous branches to pull apart power lines, leading to explosions.
The same system caused similar explosions in Maine -- an area that was also impacted by Dorian in September.
Shea Armstrong told CBC News that branches were falling off a tree near his home for about two hours, striking the power line and bursting into flames before hitting the ground.
"It was really, really loud and it's a noise that you've never heard — or at least I've never heard before in my life — just very electrical and unnatural and scary," Armstrong said.