Drake Batherson dealing with family tragedy in the wake of Hurricane Fiona.

Over the course of the last week or so many Canadians that reside on the East Coast of Canada were left devastated by the extraordinary damage that was left in the wake of Hurricane Fiona, a truly terrible storm that has cost many, many people their homes and unfortunately has cost some their lives as well.

There are thousands and thousands of families currently being impacted by the devastation from Fiona, and unfortunately on Monday we learned that the tragedy had hit very close to home for a member of the Ottawa Senators. 24 year old Senators forward Drake Batherson has revealed that members of his family, specifically his great aunt and great uncle, lost their home over the weekend when it was swept into the ocean by the storm.

"My family in Port-Aux-Basque got hit hard,” said Batherson as per the Ottawa Sun. “My great aunt and uncle lost their house into the ocean. My thoughts and prayers are with my family in Port-Aux-Basque and everybody in that town and all my family across Newfoundland."

Thankfully the family was able to escape with their pets before the home was swept away.

While Batherson himself was raised in Newfoundland, it wasn't in the Port-Aux-Basque area. He is however familiar with the area due to having spent some time there with his family as a younger man.

"I used to go there as a kid with my grandfather salmon fishing so I’m very familiar with the spot," said the Sens forward on Sunday.

It is perhaps for this reason that it has been especially difficult for Batherson to see the devastation that has been caused by the hurricane. We have of course all seen the horrible videos, but they take on a more personal meaning for a young man who is so familiar with the area and the people who live there.

"I’ve seen a lot of the videos from the area and it’s really tough to watch," he admitted. "The houses in Port-Aux-Basque have probably been there for over a hundred years and I recognize some of the areas that got hit from being there as a kid."

It's impossible not to feel for the citizens of Newfoundland, especially with so many videos being shared online of homes quite literally being swept out into the ocean. While their personal belongings, and even their homes, can be replaced, unfortunately these situations also come with the loss of family heirlooms, photographs, and perhaps most important of all precious memories that can never be replaced.

Thankfully there have also been some positive images and videos from this devastating storm, this story about Port Aux Basques' Krystle Collier this morning was particularly inspiring. It just goes to show how resilient of mind, body and spirit the people of Newfoundland can be.