Heavy rainfall is forecasted to persist in certain areas of Cape Breton on Monday after experiencing heavy rain throughout the weekend. Over 200 millimetres of rain deluged parts of the island, leading to severe damage to roads, culverts, and bridges, prompting local states of emergency in Richmond, Inverness, and Victoria counties, which are still in effect. Environment Canada initially issued rainfall warnings for eastern Cape Breton, including metro Sydney and Cape Breton and Victoria counties, for 25 to 40 millimetres of rain, but these warnings have now been lifted.
Tragically, a 46-year-old woman from Cape Breton who was reported missing on Saturday was discovered deceased in a flooded area of Richmond County. The unprecedented rainfall has caused significant devastation to local infrastructure, cutting off various communities, including an area near River Bourgeois, as indicated by Warden Lois Landry on CBC’s Information Morning. Emergency crews are currently focusing on establishing at least one access route to the affected area.
Jackie Organ, the warden of Victoria County, mentioned that they are waiting for an assessment from local emergency services regarding the situation around Iona before lifting the state of emergency. Organ emphasized the importance of cautious assessment due to more significant damage than initially anticipated. Motorists are advised to exercise caution on the roads and contact local authorities if encountering any issues.
The heavy rainfall over the weekend prompted a mandatory water conservation notice in Inverness County on Monday morning. The flooding carried heavy silt and mud into the water source at the dam in Judique, overwhelming the treatment plant’s capacity, leading to its closure. Residents are urged to limit water consumption to essential needs until further notice.
