By Aaron Miller-
Hundreds have been displaced and four people are missing as floods devastate the Canadian province of Nova Scotia.
Authorities declared a province-wide state of emergency late Saturday.
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Preliminary estimates indicate that some locations received over 100-250 millimetres of rainfall as of Sunday morning, according to CBC News, with Bedford, Lower Sackville, and Windsor experiencing most of this rainfall in just five to seven hours.
The areas worst hit by the heavy rainfall encompass a region stretching from Liverpool in Queens County on the South Shore through Lunenburg County, extending across northwest Halifax County and into Hants County.
Hundreds of Halifax residents evacuated their homes due to the widespread floods. For some, this marked the second time in a few months that they have had to flee their homes, after the Tantallon-area wildfires in May.
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“It’s been a tough couple of months, but I guess it seems to be our new normal,” said Bedford resident Melanie McWhirter, who spoke to CBC News while at a comfort centre in Dartmouth.
Police have found a vehicle two children were in before it was submerged but found no sign of them. The others missing were also driving.
The flooding was caused by the heaviest torrential rains to hit the Atlantic Canada region in 50 years.
Officials said that several highways, local roads and properties have been significantly damaged as a result.
Twenty-five bridges have been affected, with six of them completely destroyed.
About 500 to 600 people were displaced across Nova Scotia because they cannot reach their homes, though many have been able to return home on Monday as evacuation orders were lifted, the province said.
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) said that it continues to search for the four missing, who are from the town of West Hants, north of Halifax.
Officials said that several highways, local roads and properties have been significantly damaged as a result.
Twenty-five bridges have been affected, with six of them completely destroyed.
About 500 to 600 people were displaced across Nova Scotia because they cannot reach their homes, though many have been able to return home on Monday as evacuation orders were lifted, the province said.
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) said that it continues to search for the four missing, who are from the town of West Hants, north of Halifax.
They are using industrial pumps to lower water levels in search areas.
The two missing children were in a pick-up truck that was submerged by flood waters. Three other people in that car had managed to escape.
A man and a young person are also missing after the vehicle they were in was also submerged. Two people were rescued from the vehicle.
Their names and ages have not been released by police.
In a news conference on Sunday, the mayor of West Hants appeared visibly emotional as he discussed the search efforts.
“We’ve dedicated a lot of resources today to help find those families,” said Abraham Zebian, holding back tears. “We’re doing everything we can.”
Both Mr Zebian and the RCMP have advised locals not to join the search and rescue efforts due to dangerous conditions.
Nova Scotia was hit by 250 millilitres of rain in a 24-hour period – equivalent to what the province would usually see over a three-month period, said premier Tim Houston.
Mark Savage, the mayor of Halifax, described it as a torrential pour of “biblical proportions”.
Nova Scotia declared a province-wide state of emergency on Saturday that will remain in effect until 5 August, and the federal government said it will be sending assistance to help those impacted.
Halifax’s Pride Parade on Sunday was also postponed due to the severe flooding.
The flooding is the latest extreme weather event to hit northeast Canada – recent wildfires have burnt a record area, sending clouds of smoke south into the US and destroying dozens of homes in Nova Scotia.
Image: HALIFAX SEARCH AND RESCUE/ FILE
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