The perfect storm resulted in a section of Roxon Way (Route 490) near Stephenville Crossing Beach in Rothesay Bay being closed for nearly three and a half hours on Wednesday.
Contributing to the perfect storm were high onshore westerly winds and a high tide that was boosted by a rare Super Blue Blood Moon, which likely affected the tide.
The Department of Transportation and Works announced at 10:30 a.m. due to high water levels and waves coming over the road, the section of road between the exit to Seal Cove in Stephenville Crossing and Ocean Drive leading into the town was closed.
It’s not the first time that waves have breached the road at the location and conditions have always been at high tide and onshore winds in the past.
The section of road was reopened at 2:55 p.m. when the tide started to drop and the threat of waves going over the road had waned.
Lorraine Gaudet, a weather observer at Stephenville airport, said gusts of up to 92 km/h were recorded at the airport on Wednesday. That particular gust was recorded at 11:30 a.m., an hour into the closure of the road at Stephenville Crossing.
