A look at how P.E.I. and its residents are adapting 8 months after Fiona

On Sept. 24, 2022, P.E.I. changed for good.

Post-tropical storm Fiona — one of the strongest in Canadian history — hurtled through Atlantic Canada, destroying homes and other buildings, leaving thousands without power for days, and laying waste to entire forests and coastlines. On P.E.I., the storm changed everything.

CBC’s Nicola MacLeod has taken a look at how Fiona impacted the Island — and its people — in a four-part series, Changed by Fiona.

Check out the videos produced for the series, and the articles that accompanied them.

1. How Fiona altered the Island landscape

Changed By Fiona: Coasts and forests

P.E.I.’s forests and coastlines will be seen through a Fiona lens for years to come. The CBC’s Nicola MacLeod takes a look at how the post-tropical storm changed P.E.I.’s land management in the first of the series Changed by Fiona.

With the arrival of spring, researchers and biologists are getting back outside to survey damage from the post-tropical storm and figure out what comes next.

In the immediate aftermath of the storm, the province focused on safety on the land it managed, removing ill-placed piles of debris and clearing trees posing a public danger before winter came.

Only now are officials starting to shift focus to planning for the future.

2. How Island farmers are building back better than before

Changed by Fiona: farms and fields

Farmers on P.E.I. who weathered post-tropical storm Fiona learned some lessons and are now preparing for an uncertain future. The CBC’s Nicola MacLeod heads to orchards, fields and barns in the second part of the series “Changed by Fiona.”

The storm touched virtually every corner of the Island’s farming sector — damaging buildings and crops, flooding land, and taking away chunks of coastal farmland.

While it may seem challenging to look for silver linings, farmers and industry leaders agree that Fiona showed people the power of natural disasters and how preparedness can make a difference.

And the industry will never go back to how it was before.

3. A very different P.E.I. for tourists

Changed by Fiona: The tourism industry

Visitors are returning to a changed Island after post-tropical storm Fiona. CBC’s Nicola MacLeod explored some tourism spots to learn about the difficult recovery and preparations for the future in the third part of the series “Changed by Fiona.”

P.E.I.’s tourism operators have worked hard to get their shops, restaurants, accommodations and attractions ready for the 2023 season. But visitors will see a changed landscape compared to years past.

The impact from the storm — including nearly bare fields where trees once stood and all-but-eradicated dune systems — cannot be hidden from visitors or fixed with a coat of paint.

The P.E.I. Tourism Industry Association says climate and environmental awareness will become a big topic for the sector moving forward.

4. How Fiona changed Islanders

Changed By Fiona: Coping with trauma

Post-tropical storm Fiona passed over P.E.I. in the early morning of Sept. 24, 2022, but the ripples are still being felt today on the Island. Here’s a look back at the moment itself as well as finding ways for individuals and communities to be more resilient moving forward in the final part of the CBC P.E.I. series “Changed by Fiona.”

The deep psychological impact Fiona left behind may be less apparent than the damage to buildings and landscape, but for many who lived through the storm — and the days that followed it — the emotional toll is no less real.

Some Islanders were left without power for weeks while also grappling with unplanned financial burdens, sorting through insurance claims for damage to property, challenges accessing assistance and poor cellular coverage.

Panic when the power goes out, a shudder at the sound of howling wind, a wave of grief upon seeing a beloved landmark forever changed. These are just some of the scars Fiona left behind.