Nova Scotia mourning woman who died in province’s severe flooding: premier
Environment Canada has dropped its warnings for Nova Scotia, but there is still more rain in the forecast after flooding and widespread damage was reported.
Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston expressed deep sorrow over the death of a woman who perished during the province's severe flooding this past weekend. On Sunday, the Nova Scotia RCMP confirmed the discovery of the woman's body, whose vehicle was found near her residence across a flooded bridge. Police stated that the death was not believed to be suspicious.
Premier Houston mourned the woman's loss, expressing his thoughts with her family and the community grappling with the tragedy. The flooding, which remains a pressing concern, has left three counties on Cape Breton Island in states of emergency. These counties - Inverness, Victoria, and Richmond - declared local emergencies on Saturday due to the catastrophic damage caused by the heavy rain.
Environment Canada had predicted up to 120 millimeters of rain in certain regions between Friday and Monday, with some areas even expecting rainfall at a rate of 10 millimeters per hour. In Richmond County, over 200 millimeters of rain had been recorded, with bodies of water like the River Tillard nearly reaching the bridges that cross it. Numerous roads had been closed due to the hazardous conditions, and some, such as those near Marble Mountain in Inverness County, had collapsed under the pressure of the water.
Though Environment Canada has since lifted its warnings, they advised that another 10 to 20 millimeters of rain could fall in the area. The heaviest rainfall is expected to diminish by Sunday morning, though showers might persist into Monday. Ingonish Beach in Cape Breton recorded a staggering 130 millimeters, while Sydney received 105 millimeters of rain during the storm.
Premier Houston, who had visited the command center in Port Hawkesbury earlier, urged crews to repair roads and infrastructure as quickly as possible once the storm subsides. He emphasized that Nova Scotia Emergency Management advised people to avoid roads unless absolutely necessary, citing the potential for rapidly changing road conditions and damaged or unsafe flooded roads.
All individuals were cautioned to check road conditions before traveling, adhere to road closures, bypass floodwater, and retreat if encountering any flooding or damaged roads.
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