It was a scene of mass destruction in the fishing village of Westport on Brier Island after the Feb. 2, 1976 Groundhog Day Storm. Waterfront fish shops that had been there for 150 years were washed out to sea or reduced to splintered pieces of wood by thi

It came out of nowhere, but when it was over, stunned residents of south-western Nova Scotia called it the worst storm in the area’s history. It happened on Feb. 2, 1976, the day when the groundhog is supposed to predict the weather for the rest of the winter.

No one was predicting the fury that slammed the south western shoreline that day. Forecasts called for clear skies and winds up to 35 mph. By noon people were watching in disbelief as an abnormally high tide and winds of more than 100 mph combined to cause mass destruction to waterfront facilities and fishing boats.

Though the storm caused over $4 million in damage in Yarmouth and Digby counties, one of the hardest hit was the area around Long and Brier Islands. Westport, Freeport and most of Digby Neck were declared a disaster area.

The Connor Brothers fish plant at Freeport was destroyed. The roof blew of...