Nova Scotia floods cause ‘unimaginable’ damage; four missing persons

OTTAWA, July 22 (Reuters) – The heaviest rain to hit the Atlantic Canadian province of Nova Scotia in more than 50 years triggered flooding that caused “unimaginable” damage and four people are missing, including two children, authorities said on Saturday.

The storm, which began Friday, dumped more than 10 inches (25 cm) in some parts in just 24 hours, the same amount that typically falls in three months. The resulting floods washed out roads, weakened bridges, and inundated buildings.

“We have a frightening and significant situation,” Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston said, adding that at least seven bridges would have to be replaced or rebuilt.

“The property damage to the homes…is quite unimaginable,” he told a news conference. Houston said the province would seek significant support from the federal government.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told reporters in Toronto that he was very concerned about the flooding and vowed that Ottawa “will be there” for the province.

The flooding was the latest weather-related calamity to hit Canada this year. forest fires they have already burned a record number acres, sending clouds of smoke into the United States. Earlier this month, heavy rains caused flooding in several eastern US states.

Authorities have declared a state of emergency in Halifax, Nova Scotia’s largest city, and four other regions.

The Halifax Regional Municipality reported “significant damage to roads and infrastructure” and urged people to stay home and not use their cars.

Images posted on Halifax social media showed abandoned cars nearly covered by floodwaters and rescuers using boats to save people.

Houston, citing police, said two children were missing after the car they were riding in submerged. In another incident, a man and a young man went missing after their car plunged into deep water.

At one point, more than 80,000 people were without power.

Environment Canada is forecasting torrential rain in the eastern part of the province, which will continue through Sunday.

“People shouldn’t assume it’s all over. This is a very dynamic situation,” Halifax Mayor Mike Savage told the news conference, saying the city had been hit with “biblical proportions of rain.”

Canadian Broadcasting Corp meteorologist Ryan Snoddon said Halifax’s rains were the heaviest since a hurricane hit the city in 1971.

Early Saturday, authorities in northern Nova Scotia ordered residents to evacuate amid fears that a dam near the St. Croix River system could rupture. They later canceled the evacuation order.

Reporting by David Ljunggren; Edited by Daniel Wallis, Richard Chang, and Paul Simao

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