Burnt Islands man receives compensation a year after Fiona smashed in his basement

Murray Hardy opened the door to his basement and out poured a strong smell of mould and wet wood.

He could hear the water crashing into his Burnt Islands home the day post-tropical storm Fiona hit southwestern Newfoundland in September 2022. 

"It smashed in through the basement, took concrete and all, washing everything out in the bottom of my basement. Two bedrooms, laundry room, rec room, everything bottom up," he said. 

"The basement full of sewage, kelp, mud. I was two weeks trying to clean it out. I used 20 gallons of Javex and a pressure washer."

Eleven households in Burnt Islands were destroyed a year ago, deemed damaged beyond repair.

Hardy's house, however, was not put on that list — until, that is, late last week, when he got a call from the Newfoundland and Labrador government about a settlement.

"It's not feasible to repair the damage that's done to it. They offered us a settlement to move, and we accepted it," he said.

Hardy feels good with what was offered to him, his wife and his son. He says they will receive $200 a square foot for their home on the causeway in Burnt Islands.

For months, Hardy felt like he was never going to see any financial help for his destroyed home.

The powerful surge cracked the foundation and jeopardized the structure of his home. Now, every time there is rain and wind, his basement fills up again with water, sewage and seaweed.

The walls in his basement show a clear water line, about 1.5 metres up the wall. He's been cleaning the mould off the walls for months — all while sharing his concerns with anyone who would listen.

"I have been fighting this since October. I've talked to so many people half the time now I do not even know who I'm talking to. It's a disgrace."

He filed an application with the Disaster Financial Assistance Arrangement almost a year ago. Engineers and electricians visited his property, but he still did not receive any confirmation about compensation until now.

"I personally don't think it should have been," he said.