Irene storms through eastern Canada

OTTAWA: Strong winds knocked out power to more than 285,000 homes and businesses in easternmost Canada as the remnants of Irene on Monday soaked Quebec and the Atlantic provinces, and swept one man away.

The unidentified man is missing in Yamaska, about 105 kilometers (65 miles) northeast of Montreal, after two cars plunged into a chasm created when a road washed out in the morning, Quebec police spokesman Eric Benoit told AFP.

In Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia, parades welcoming the National Hockey League Stanley Cup to the hometowns of Adam McQuaid and Brad Marchand, respectively, would not be derailed by the storm, said reports. Both players helped win the championship trophy last season for the Boston Bruins.

Meanwhile, hundreds of flights were grounded at airports in the region as more than 100 millimeters (3.9 inches) of rain fell overnight and wind gusts up to 100 kilometers per hour (62 miles per hour) developed this morning.

"Post-tropical storm Irene is currently located over southeastern Quebec and is expected to track through extreme northwestern New Brunswick later this morning," said Environment Canada's Weather Office.

Copyright AFP (Agence France-Presse), 2011