Average Cape Breton home lost $4,000 in post-tropical storm Fiona in 2022: survey

A new survey looks at the impact of post-tropical storm Fiona on Cape Breton.

The average household in the Cape Breton Regional Municipality (CBRM) lost roughly $4,000 due to post-tropical storm Fiona, according to a new survey.

Dr. Corrine Cash, an associate professor at Mount Allison University, surveyed 826 Cape Bretoners about their experiences with the storm that made landfall in September 2022. Cash looked at impacts, preparedness, recovery and future readiness.

“We were concerned,” said Denise Forgeron. The storm destroyed the back deck of her mother’s home in Louisbourg, N.S. “With my mom there in her 80s by herself, one exit to a house, and with the winter onset.”

The study noted residents in New Waterford, Reserve Mines and Dominion reported average losses of $10,000 per household while some residents reported damages as high as $20,000.

Forgeron said they contacted their insurance company but it took months to get a response.

“There should be a more timely route for people to get their claims looked at,” she said.

“Based on survey data and estimates of approximately 46,842 households in CBRM, the total economic impact of Hurricane Fiona is estimated at $183.6 million,” the survey reads.

Sixty per cent of respondents felt the CBRM and the Nova Scotia government were not prepared for the storm.

“Many households experienced power outages lasting between three days and two weeks,” the survey reads. “This far exceeds the commonly recommended 72-hour preparedness window.

“Extended outages contributed to food spoilage, missed medical appointments, and prolonged disruptions, highlighting the need for households and businesses to prepare for longer durations without power.”

The survey found 92 per cent of respondents reported being more personally prepared for future storms due to Fiona. It also noted 60 per cent feel the CBRM is making insufficient infrastructure investments to withstand major weather events.

“The research indicates that preparedness in CBRM is largely a function of household coping capacity,” the survey reads. “This reflects a prevailing perception that municipal infrastructure and institutional readiness remain insufficient to meet the challenges posed by increasingly frequent and severe weather events.”

Cash will present the findings of the survey at the International Conference on Climate Change in Greece in April and at the Atlantic Adaptation Conference 2026 in Halifax in May.

With files from Ryan MacDonald

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