Wendy Owens Abbott has spent her entire life in Richmond County, N.S., yet she has never experienced the aftermath of a storm like this.
Trapped at her home in The Points West Bay due to washed-out roads, the manager of the Bras d’Or Lakes Inn in St. Peter’s was unable to reach her workplace on Saturday — coincidentally, the day the inn was hosting a wedding.
“It turns out the crews are unable to access us,” Abbott remarked.
“I am concerned about how compromised the roads in this area are.”
By late Saturday afternoon, a local state of emergency was announced in Inverness, Richmond, and Victoria counties as a result of severe flooding and extensive damage.
A toll-free municipal support number will be available starting Sunday at 8 a.m. AT for residents of these counties and the town of Port Hawkesbury to report non-emergency concerns. According to Inverness County officials, the number — 902-625-7888 — will be operational until 8 p.m.
Jeremey Carroll, co-owner of a vacation rental enterprise named Lakeside Luxury Domes on West Bay Road, situated about 25 kilometers west of St. Peter’s, reported he heard the culvert blow out shortly after 4 a.m. on Saturday.
“You could hear the rumble and the pressure of the water,” he recounted. “We have guests down there … so it was certainly an interesting morning.”
A state of emergency has been declared in parts of Cape Breton, after a storm bringing more than 200 millimetres of rain caused severe flooding and power outages. Roads and highways throughout Cape Breton and parts of mainland Nova Scotia are washed out, leaving many stranded. The CBC’s Kyle Moore reports.
Throughout Richmond County, some areas recorded as much as 250 millimetres of rainfall by Saturday afternoon, leading to significant damage to local infrastructure and isolating entire neighborhoods.
Warden Lois Landry informed CBC News that flooding occurred in regions that had never previously experienced such issues, prompting emergency crews to assess damaged roadways and prioritize repairs.
“There are certainly roads that are impassable and will remain that way for a while until we can determine our priorities and how we will address that infrastructure,” Landry stated, urging residents to check on their neighbors and refrain from traveling.
Waves from the Bras d’Or Lake batter West Bay Road in Dundee, washing storm debris across the asphalt. (Tom Ayers/CBC)
In Guysborough County, Raymond Morris and his wife, both 86 years old, found themselves stranded in their Sand Point home after two culverts collapsed.
He expressed that they are in a very vulnerable and perilous situation.
“I have a cane, and I have a lifeline here with me, with six stents in my chest.… If I had an emergency right now, I’d be in serious trouble, and no one could reach me unless they came by boat,” Morris explained.
His son, Darryl Morris, who resides in Halifax, noted that most residents in Sand Point are seniors.
He added that the aging and condition of the culverts have been a concern for years, and this issue has been communicated to the MLA and others.
On Saturday, MLA Greg Morrow shared on social media that the Department of Public Works was collaborating with the local volunteer fire department “in case an urgent situation arises.”
He mentioned that “crews will implement a temporary solution to reopen that stretch of highway to traffic as quickly as possible, but that work can only commence once the floodwaters recede.”
The physical devastation was exacerbated by widespread utility outages. Initially, there were as many as 40,000 outages reported Saturday afternoon, but that figure decreased to 7,000 by evening.
CBRM communications indicated Saturday that the fire department had responded to around 30 calls regarding flooded basements.
CBC meteorologist Ryan Snoddon noted that rain is expected to continue across the island tonight. As the system gradually moves eastward, Victoria and Cape Breton counties are likely to receive the heaviest rainfall overnight, with additional totals of 20 to 30 millimeters, and localized heavier amounts possible.
Lingering showers on Sunday will bring another widespread total of two to five millimeters for most areas, though Victoria and Cape Breton counties are anticipated to see an additional five to 10 millimeters throughout the day.
