Islanders in rural areas using wells are being asked to test their water following power outages due to Fiona. Bacteria like coliform, which can make people sick, can form in pipes if there is no water filling them. Amy Carver lives in Long Creek and says she found out her water should be tested through a family friend. "We went and got tested as soon as we could and came back positive for coliform bacteria in a number that's not a safe number to have in your drinking water. And now we have a whole new set of adjustments to make," she said. "The lab that does the testing gave us an outline of precautions we needed to take and different ways to manage some household activities such as dishes. You can use the water to wash them, but you have to sanitize them in a bleach solution and air dry them."
As climate change erodes coastlines, industry looking again at storm insurance
Properties on P.E.I.'s North Shore took the brunt of post-tropical storm Fiona's battering last month, and where the sea rose up and swept things away, many owners are finding they were not insured. It's called a storm surge. Winds driving water onshore combine with a high tide to raise the sea well above normal levels. Surges of more than two metres were measured in several locations during Fiona. These surges combined with metres-high waves to wreak havoc on the shore. It's a risk for all coastal properties, but climate change has made it difficult to put a price on that risk, making storm surge insurance rare.