Extreme erosion: Prince Edward Island reshaped by Fiona

Post-tropical storm Fiona has reshaped Prince Edward Island, eastern Canada, with whole coastlines erased.

Fiona struck Canada's east coast on September 24th 2022, causing widespread damage and devastation. The storm surge was so severe that staircases to beaches were washed away and properties were inundated.

The water surrounding the shore of Prince Edward Island is now clogged with eroded sand and soil, as seen on the satellite imagery in the tweet above.

Up to 10m of sand dunes were eroded, with around 40% of it lost to the sea and leaving them dangerously unstable. There was also a gentle gradient to walk down to the beach prior to Fiona, which has now been cut to the shape of a cliff.

Fiona devastated much of Atlantic Canada's coastline, with homes and shoreline being sucked out to sea. Teacup Rock, one of the most iconic, natural landmarks on the island, was also destroyed in the storm.

Whilst coastal ecosystems are dynamic, and sand dunes are likely to reform as sediment is washed back on the beach, returning the dunes back to their previous state could take up to a decade.