Strong winds and rain wreaked havoc in parts of Newfoundland last night, while some areas of Labrador saw as much as 38 centimetres of snow pile up by Sunday morning.

In Mount Pearl, residents of a townhouse were forced to leave their homes after high winds ripped the roof off a section of the seven-unit structure.

Winds as high as 119 km/h forced five people, including a couple and their young daughter, from three units on Galway Crescent.

The roof was torn off of three separate units of a townhouse on Galway Crescent in Mount Pearl in the high winds overnight Saturday. (Mark Quinn/CBC)

The roof came crashing to the ground in pieces and landed on the road, as well as in the front yard and across several driveways.

Volunteers with the Canadian Red Cross are assisting the residents with emergency lodging and food while they make other arrangements. No injuries were reported.

Residents are hoping to hear from insurance adjusters by Monday about long-term accommodation while the roof is replaced and other damage related to the incident is repaired.

Wind, rain damage

Meanwhile, at least one building under construction in St. John's was partially destroyed by the high winds Saturday night.

A development on Freshwater Road, across from Booth Memorial High School, was torn down in winds that peaked at 119 km/h in the St. John's area.

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Pockets on the west coast of the island experienced flooding due to high winds and sea surges.

The Town of Stephenville was forced to close a section of Massachusetts Drive on Saturday because of surf washing over the road.

In the neighbouring community of Stephenville Crossing, some sections of highway were littered with debris moved around waves and wind by Sunday morning.

Gusts up to 151 km/h were reported near Green Island, and in Cape Ray winds were clocked at 135 km/h.

Some residents also reported pockets of flooding on personal properties.

Areas of Labrador saw as much as 38 cm of snowfall between Friday night and Sunday morning.

A mix of flurries lasted only briefly in the St. John's area, with small amounts of snowfall reported in the Corner Brook region.