Some Cape Breton counties lift states of emergency as flood recovery continues

Two Cape Breton counties have eased their states of emergency while another still maintains travel restrictions following intense flooding over the weekend. This series of natural disasters was caused by a slow-moving storm that dumped more than two feet of rain in some areas over a two-day period. This torrential downpour caused significant damage to infrastructure, including roads, culverts, and bridges, leaving some residents stranded in their neighborhoods.

On Tuesday evening, states of local emergency were lifted in Victoria and Inverness counties. However, Richmond County remains under a state of emergency, which prevents travel across the area and has closed schools. The county's warden, Lois Landry, explained that the ongoing restrictions are necessary for further assessment of the roads and infrastructure in the most severely impacted regions.

"Our issues today are twofold: really continuing those recovery and repair and reconstruction efforts, but also to do the last of the assessments we need to do to have confidence in the existing infrastructure," Landry stated.

The Canadian Press reported this story, originally published on September 9, 2026.