A massive cleanup operation is underway in parts of Newfoundland and Labrador after a severe storm battered the province.
It's expected to cost millions of dollars and take several months to clean up all the damage caused by Chantal.
Forecasters had predicted heavy rain and strong winds, but no one expected post-tropical storm Chantal to pack to the punch it delivered to eastern areas of Newfoundland.
The mayors of several small communities have declared a state of emergency in the aftermath after remnants of the tropical storm swamped some areas with as much as 150 millimetres of rain.
Placentia, a small community of about 4,000 on the eastern shore of Placentia Bay, was among the towns hardest hit by the storm.
Roads were covered in water, homes were flooded and access to one part of the municipality had been completely cut off.
"I've had 26 years serving as mayor, and I've never seen it,'' Mayor Bill Hogan told The Canadian Press.
"We've had severe flooding before, but even that flooding with the town underwater has never been as devastating as this.''
The provincial government had already contacted him to offer assistance, Hogan said.
Homeowner Kay Newhook's driveway became a massive sinkhole, her family's truck and a shed a grim reminder of the storm's power.
She told NTV hews she awoke yesterday morning to find a "raging river" in her driveway.
"All you could see was just this mountain of water just rushing down our driveway and (her husband's) truck was already gone down in the bottom of the driveway, and his shed was starting to shift. He came out and from then on it was just chaos."
At least 10 communities declared states of emergency, several of them along Route 100, about an hour southwest of St. John's.
Severe flooding was also reported in Cupids, Bryant's Cove, Bay Roberts, Butlerville, Shearstown and South River.
The deluge washed away or submerged a number of vehicles and caused substantial damage to homes and businesses.
Spaniard's Bay Mayor John Drover says a portion of Bishop's Cove Shore was closed after a big washout on the ocean side; however, the majority of the road is still accessible to residents.
Meanwhile the bridge on the beach separating Spaniard's Bay and Bay Roberts sank by about one-half metre.
Elsewhere, nearly 150 residents in Ship Harbour were left isolated as the road into that town had been washed out.
There were also closures in Argentia, Dunville and along Route 80 near Dildo.
The provincial Transportation Department asked people in the area to avoid driving on the roads unless it was absolutely necessary.
In Bay Roberts, where extensive flooding forced the mayor to declare a state of emergency, the premier dropped by to see the damage firsthand.
Premier Danny Williams said the province would be working quickly to ensure roads were made safe again.
"Our initial concern, our primary concern is safety because this is a main road link and beyond that we'll deal with the individual problems of the people in the community and their flooding," Williams said.
He told affected residents to immediately begin making claims, allowing the province to make appraisals and begin providing some cash while also seeking disaster assistance from Ottawa.
Bay Roberts Mayor Glen Littlejohn said the town is doing everything it can to help residents in as many as 1,000 different homes to get back on their feet.
The severe weather had begun to dwindle by early Wednesday afternoon, as remnants of the storm continued to move out to sea.
With a report from NTV and files from The Canadian Press
