Post Dorian Sunday

We weathered the storm well, perhaps surprisingly. When we had to leave the provincial park we chose this area since it was away from the shore (any shore), at higher elevation, and on the opposite side of the island from landfall. The forecast showed the track of the storm as passing east of here. By the time it was too late to change our location safely, the storm was predicted to pass right over our location.

The winds and rain began in earnest in the early afternoon. Walmart closed down at 3:00. It was fun to watch the plants on the hillside next to us toss in the wind. The van was buffeted about, but in our protected location it never felt to be a problem. About 6:00 another Sprinter van pulled in next to us for the night.

Around 9:00 the wind stopped almost completely. It would seem we were in the eye of the storm. When the back wall hit, we had more wind, but surprisingly less than expected. We also had a lot less rain than expected.

This morning is sunny and breezy. Nova Scotia emergency management has requested no unnecessary travel so that power and tree crews can work easily. Tell that to the people lined up at the McDonalds in Walmart this morning for their morning coffee. We spent the afternoon watching NFL football using the Walmart WiFi.

Lots of interesting pictures showing the devastation along the south coast on Twitter at #DorianNS.

We will stay here until tomorrow when we learn if the provincial and national parks will reopen. Then we will plan the final weeks of our trip.

-- Janet (text) and David (photos)