Nova Scotia Historic Flood Event

Empty truck found in flooded field as search continues for 4 missing people in Nova Scotia

2 children, a youth and a man are missing in the West Hants area of province

Andrew Sampson · CBC News · Posted: Jul 23, 2023 9:14 AM ADT | Last Updated: 3 hours ago

Windsor and West Hants Municipality Mayor Abraham Zebian applauded his community's resiliency in the aftermath of devastating floods that hit Nova Scotia. Zebian added that his community is focused on finding the four people who went missing during the floods.

The latest:

Pickup truck two children were travelling in located but unoccupied, say RCMP.

Search continues for four people after vehicles became submerged in floodwaters.

Nova Scotia's request for federal assistance approved.

Evacuation order lifted for Fancy Lake area in Lunenburg County.

Evacuation order lifted for people living near St. Croix River system.

Provincewide state of emergency in effect.

Nova Scotia RCMP say the pickup truck two children were travelling in when it became submerged in floodwaters earlier this weekend has been found, but the children are still missing.

The children were reported missing in the West Hants area of the province on Saturday.

In a news release Sunday afternoon, RCMP said its underwater recovery team conducted a search of a flooded field and "located an unoccupied pickup truck," which is believed to be the same one the two children were last seen in.

RCMP are also continuing their search for an adult man and a youth whose vehicle also became submerged in the same area.

As search and rescue operations continue Sunday, police say industrial pumping equipment is being used, with help from civilian contractors, in an attempt to lower water levels.

Historic flooding hits Nova Scotia amid torrential downpours

How to prepare a go bag, emergency kit or evacuation plan

Police continue to ask the public to refrain from joining the search, as doing so might harm existing efforts and conditions in West Hants remain dangerous.

To protect the privacy of families, RCMP says it will not yet be releasing the identities of those missing or any other personal information.

The search is being led by the RCMP with an aircraft from the Department of Natural Resources, and about 40 ground search and rescue members from West Hants, Colchester County, and the Valley.

Tearful mayor says community remains hopeful

Visibly shaken and fighting back tears, West Hants Regional Municipality Mayor Abraham Zebian said Sunday that members of his tightly knit community are trying to stay optimistic. 

"It's sombre but spirits are still high," he said 

He said all his municipality's resources are now dedicated to finding the missing individuals.

"That's where our energy is at right now," said Zebian.

Some parts of Nova Scotia received more than 200 millimetres of rainfall as of 10 a.m. AT Sunday. (Ryan Snoddon/CBC)

Much of the province has been dealing with severe flooding and impassable roads after torrential downpours swept in overnight Friday and into Saturday.

A provincewide state of emergency was declared late Saturday, with West Hants, East Hants, the Halifax Regional Municipality, Lunenburg County and Queens County considered among the hardest hit areas.

Late Sunday, federal Emergency Preparedness Minister Bill Blair said he has approved a request for federal assistance from the province.

RCMP spokesperson Cindy Bayers told CBC News that the best source for the latest road conditions is 511, both by phone and online. 

Flooding advisories remain in effect for Highway 101, 102, 103, 107, 111 and 118.

Bayers said drivers should exercise caution and be alert while driving.

She said officers are continuing to check conditions on the province's highways and respond to any calls of people in need of help.

Infrastructure damaged

At a news conference on Sunday, Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston said floodwaters in the province are still high but are beginning to recede.

Houston said 25 bridges have been affected by the flooding with six completely destroyed. He said between 500 and 600 people remain displaced.

Mark Peachey, Nova Scotia's chief engineer, said more than 50 roads have been washed out, mainly in the central and western regions of the province. 

He said 400 people are isolated because of bridge damage.

According to Houston, the province submitted a request for disaster financial assistance to the federal government on Saturday night to help cover uninsurable costs.

"There's a lot of anxiety over the damage that has been sustained to people's property and to their homes," Houston said.

"We're listening, we're watching in an effort to see what people need and if we can do something."

Damage in Halifax area

In the Halifax Regional Municipality, Mayor Mike Savage said Sunday that officials are asking residents to stay off the roads "as much as possible," and to stay away from the water, which is "full of contaminants."

A map of roads blocked due to flooding in the Halifax region is available here. 

Overflowing at Miller Lake, near Fall River and off Highway 102, is of particular concern, Savage said, as waters continue to flow in from nearby tributaries, even though it's no longer raining.

"I understand that there is a lane closed on the highway out to the airport and we've got to keep an eye on that," said Savage.

Halifax Regional Municipality Mayor Mike Savage says it will take days for the floodwaters to recede in some hard-hit areas as crews start to assess the damage from torrential rain that inundated Nova Scotia over the weekend.

The mayor said crews are continuing to restore infrastructure, but urged patience, acknowledging it will take time for water levels to return to normal. 

Halifax Water's Jeff Myrick said Sunday that crews have been working non-stop since Friday evening to manage the flow of water.

All dams in the municipality remain structurally sound and continue to be monitored, he said.

"We've had between seven and 10 cross culverts which have been damaged," said Myrick. "And early indications [are] that we've had hundreds of driveway culverts washed out."

During Sunday's news conference, Erica Fleck, the director of Emergency Management and Community Safety, said about 200 HRM residents are still displaced.

Fleck said the municipality has 300 requests for road, shoulder and culvert repair.

A culvert at the end of a driveway is exposed after heavy rainfall swept through the Hammonds Plains area late Friday. (Paul Poirier/CBC)

Floodwaters have not receded in parts of the municipality and some bridges are under 1.5 metres of water, which is making damage assessment unsafe, Fleck said.

In Bedford, where floodwaters have submerged much of the Bedford Place Mall parking lot, city officials are urging residents, including those who have tried to return and access vehicles left behind, to stay away as the area remains unsafe.

Those affected by flooding or power outages in HRM can go to the comfort centre set up at the East Dartmouth Community Centre at 50 Caledonia Road. It will remain open until further notice, the city said.

As of 3:45 p.m. AT Sunday, Nova Scotia Power's outage map shows there are about 2,200 customers without electricity, down from a peak of around 80,000 at the height of the storm. 

Significant flooding after torrential downpours has forced several roadways and businesses to close in Bedford, N.S.

Evacuation orders lifted in West Hants, Lunenburg County

Early Sunday, Windsor and West Hants Regional Municipality Mayor Abraham Zebian said that all emergency evacuations in the area have been lifted.

A risk of a possible dam breach near the St. Croix area of the municipality had raised concern Saturday, but has since been brought under control.

Zebian said water levels are dropping, and that municipal infrastructure is OK, but provincial infrastructure is badly damaged, with washed out roads, shoulders and bridges. 

People are now able to return to their homes, but only if it's safe to do so, he said.

Water is seen flowing over the dam on the St. Croix River. The dam was at risk of breaching early Saturday, but the situation is now under control. (Communications Nova Scotia)

Meanwhile, those who were evacuated from Smiley's Provincial Park in Newport, N.S., have until 5 p.m. today to access the park via a temporary bridge and pick up their belongings and vehicles, said the Department of Natural Resources and Renewables via Twitter on Sunday.

An evacuation order for people living around Fancy Lake near Bridgewater, N.S., was also lifted Monday afternoon. Residents can return to their homes but should be prepared to leave again if conditions change. The evacuation centre at the NSCC in Bridgewater will close Monday at 5 p.m.

Closures, cancellations and delays

Across the province, the floods have resulted in a rash of closures, cancellations and postponements for key events. 

Fleck said most Halifax Regional Municipality offices will be closed Monday, July 24. 

"There may not be damage, you know, again, to the building somebody works in downtown Halifax or Dartmouth, but you still have to get there," Fleck said Sunday.

She said these closures are an attempt to limit traffic on roads, as crews assess and repair damage around the municipality.

In East Hants, the Bridgestone Canadian Superbike Championship event set for Saturday was cancelled, after the only bridge to the Atlantic Motorsport Park was washed out in the storm, stranding crews and drivers who were already on site.

"I would say currently there's anywhere between 250 and 300 people," said Chad Whitehead, president of the Society of the Atlantic Road Racing League.

Despite their circumstances, Whitehead said spirits are high and most people came prepared to camp for the event. Those who weren't prepared have been able to get help from other people.

According to officials from Bridgetown, work to install a temporary bridge began Sunday morning in conjunction with local emergency crews.

Sunday's Halifax Pride parade has been postponed by organizers. It will be rescheduled at a later date.