Nova Scotia’s premier says the province is in mourning after a woman died during the flooding that affected the province this weekend.
Nova Scotia RCMP said Sunday they had located the body of a Cleveland, N.S. woman after she went missing the previous morning. Police said they had found her vehicle parked near her residence on the far side of a flooded bridge. Her death is not believed to be suspicious, RCMP said.
“My thoughts are with her loved ones and everyone who is grieving this tragic loss,” said Premier Tim Houston on X.
The woman’s death comes as states of emergency remained in effect for three counties on Cape Breton Island Sunday morning after heavy rain washed out roads, with more in the forecast.
Environment Canada forecasted up to 120 millimetres of rain in some areas between Friday and Monday. Some regions were even forecast to see rainfall of 10 millimetres per hour.
Inverness, Victoria and Richmond counties all declared local emergencies Saturday due to severe flooding and widespread damage.
Multiple roads have been closed, the province said in its emergency alert, and conditions remained dangerous.
In Richmond County, more than 200 millimetres have been reported, with bodies of water like the River Tillard nearly touching bridges that stretch over it.
Some roads were also washed out, including near Marble Mountain in Inverness County, where a large hole could be found where the concrete gave way into the water.
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Environment Canada has ended warnings for Nova Scotia, but advised on Sunday that another 10 to 20 mm of rain was possible. The national weather service did say the heaviest rain would taper off Sunday morning, though some showers could continue into Monday.
According to the weather agency, more than 100 millimetres was recorded in several parts of Cape Breton, including 130mm in Ingonish Beach and 105mm in Sydney.
Houston said Saturday afternoon he had joined Richmond MLA Trevor Boudreau earlier in the day at the command centre in Port Hawkesbury to speak with the team about the “extensive damage.”
He said on X that crews were assessing the damage, but the full extent would not be known until after the storm ends and floodwaters recede.
“Once this storm has passed, we will pull crews and equipment where needed from other areas of the province to repair roads and infrastructure as fast as we can,” he said.
Nova Scotia Emergency Management said in its own X post that as flooding was affecting roads across Cape Breton and eastern mainland Nova Scotia, people should stay off the roads unless “absolutely necessary.”
“Road conditions can change quickly, and flooded roads may be damaged or unsafe,” it said.
People are asked to check conditions before leaving, follow all road closures and barricades, don’t drive through floodwater, and turn around if drivers encounter flooding or a damaged road.
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