Juan brings Halifax area to standstill

Hurricane Juan swept through parts of Nova Scotia late Sunday night and early Monday morning, killing two people and leaving thousands of people without power.

A paramedic was crushed when a tree fell on his vehicle. Another person died in the town of Enfield, northeast of Halifax, when a tree fell on a vehicle.

The storm packed winds of more than 150 km/h, flooding low-lying areas.

The storm tracked north, hitting Halifax the hardest then moving through Tatamagouche and into Prince Edward Island.

• Track Juan's progress - Canadian Hurricane Centre

Hundreds of trees have fallen under the weight of hurricane Juan.

Officials with Nova Scotia Power say it's not safe to walk the streets because of downed power lines.

Halifax Regional Municipality spokesperson John O'Brien says under the state of emergency, only essential workers and those directly involved in the cleanup should report to work.

Juan, the fifth hurricane of the Atlantic season, started brewing late Thursday afternoon. By Friday, it had forced the cancellation of all flights in and out of Bermuda.

Forecasters warned Canadians to get ready for more hurricanes than usual this fall, saying the Atlantic Ocean has returned to a period of heightened activity.

• Backgrounder - Hurricanes and tropical storms

Last week, hurricane Isabel fizzled out before it hit Canada.

Hurricane Fabian forced four cruise ships to divert to Halifax earlier this month.