Part of street washed away and state of emergency declared in N.L. town after storm

GAMBO, N.L. — A community on the northeast coast of Newfoundland is under a state of emergency after a weekend storm damaged homes and washed away part of a street.

Rick Ralph, a lifelong resident of the coastal town of Gambo, says the massive waves and heavy wind were unlike anything he’s seen before.

The front lawn of the home the 49-year-old shares with his wife Colleen is about nine metres away from the water and covered in seaweed.

He estimates the pounding surf eroded about five metres of land in front of the home, and says the waves washed away the end of the street.

Ralph says he and his wife feel lucky the storm wasn’t worse, even though it damaged the roof and siding to their home and uprooted large trees on the property.

In response to the storm, the town of Gambo on Sunday declared a state of emergency.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 6, 2025.

The Canadian Press