ST. JOHN'S, Newfoundland, Jan. 11 (UPI) -- A blizzard that hit eastern Newfoundland Friday has knocked out power supplies for most of the island, officials said.
As many as 75,000 households and businesses were without power Friday morning, the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. reported.
Power supplier Labrador Hydro asked emergency personnel to help get stranded employees to a generating station in Holyrood to fix the problems.
"We certainly very much appreciate the concern that customers would have in not having power ... but a high priority for us is ensuring the safety of our crews," Labrador Hydro official Merissa King said.
The storm has also caused flights to be canceled, schools to be closed, and ferries to be docked, the news report said.
Forecasters have predicted the storm to drop at least 27 inches of snow in parts of the Avalon Peninsula and winds moving at about 68 mph have been recorded in many areas.
"To be honest, the wind is so high that I don't know how you'd get a sense of snowfalls," said Dale Foote, a meteorologist with Environment Canada's weather office. "If the winds pick up, it's going to be even harder to get a sense of actual measurements."
