Hurricane Igor

On Sept. 21st, 2010, Clarenville and Eastern Newfoundland faced an unprecedented challenge. Hurricane Igor, the most destructive hurricane on record to hit our province, brought torrential rains and flash flooding that isolated nearly 150 communities. It caused millions of dollars in damage and took the life of Allan Duffett, 80, who was killed after being swept down a heavily flooded river on Random Island.

We remember Clarenville being struck hard—our two major rivers overflowed, and extensive damage to our roads led to a state of emergency. It was a time of immense uncertainty, but it was also a time when our town’s true character shone through.

Immediately following the storm, the newly opened Clarenville Events Centre became the central hub for the entire region's recovery efforts. On September 25, Operation Lama was launched, as 120 soldiers and 40 vehicles from the Canadian Forces arrived to help, setting up temporary bridges and distributing emergency aid.

And in our town, we saw incredible acts of neighbour helping neighbour. We want to give a special shout-out to Kevin Jacobs and Kent Toms, who at the time worked for the Clarenville Co-op.

Their quick thinking and leadership inspired them to engage local fishermen and boat owners to ferry essential groceries and supplies to families on Random Island and in the Burgoyne’s Cove area, which were completely cut off. Their efforts, along with the thousands of dollars the Co-op raised, encouraged other local businesses to join in the flood relief activities.

It’s a powerful reminder that while the storm tested our infrastructure, it revealed the unwavering strength of our community.

The lessons from Igor continue to shape our town. Since the storm, the town upgraded specifications for storm drainage in our infrastructure projects to better cope with the effects of powerful storms.

Source: https://www.paultilley.ca