Parts of Canada’s east coast are being pounded by one of the worst storms ever in the region’s history. Hurricane Fiona roared through Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island today as a post-tropical storm, leaving behind widespread damage.

The hardest hit area appears to be the southwest coast of the island of Newfoundland where the storm’s impact is devastating.

At the height of the storm this morning, high waves swamped houses that collapsed into the ocean near the town of Channel-Port Aux Basques. Two women were swept away by the waves one was rescued, the other was reported missing. As many as nine homes were washed out to sea as high waves combined with a high tide.

This afternoon, the storm was still approaching the shore with another high tide due tonight and Brian Button, the mayor of Channel-Port Aux Basques said too many people were in the streets and taking pictures.

“My only message to you people right now is, if you don’t leave now, we may not be able to get out of there when we really need to, so you need to go now,” Button said.

The Newfoundland and Labrador weather office says Fiona’s winds were hitting 178-kilometres an hour which is way over hurricane strength.

Earlier in the day, Fiona slammed into Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia, including Halifax.

The storm left behind extensive damage it knocked down trees, flooded streets, and knocked out power to about half a million people in much of the region.

Late today the prime minister and his emergency preparedness minister announced military aid for the Maritimes.

It is too early for any estimate of damage but emergencies have been declared throughout the region. The Canadian Hurricane Centre says they measure the strength and intensity of storms like this by how low the barometer goes, and Fiona set an unofficial record for the lowest-ever barometric reading for a storm hitting Canada.