Intense rainfall is forecasted to persist in certain areas of Cape Breton on Monday, after heavy downpours over the weekend. Parts of the island experienced over 200 millimetres of rain, resulting in severe damage to roads, culverts, and bridges, leading to local states of emergency in Richmond, Inverness, and Victoria counties.
Although Environment Canada initially issued rainfall warnings for eastern Cape Breton, including metro Sydney and Cape Breton and Victoria counties, those warnings have been lifted now. The alerts had anticipated 25 to 40 millimetres of rain. Tragically, a 46-year-old woman from Cape Breton who was reported missing on Saturday was found deceased in a flooded area in Richmond County.
According to Warden Lois Landry, the unprecedented rainfall has caused significant destruction to local infrastructure, isolating multiple communities, such as an area near River Bourgeois. Emergency crews’ primary focus on Monday is to establish at least one access route to the affected area.
Jackie Organ, warden of Victoria County, mentioned that they are awaiting an assessment from local emergency services for the Iona area before rescinding the state of emergency. Organ emphasized the importance of cautious assessment due to more extensive damage than initially anticipated.
Residents of Inverness County were issued a mandatory water conservation notice on Monday morning due to heavy rainfall causing flooding that carried substantial silt and mud into the water source at the Judique dam. This overflow overwhelmed the treatment plant’s capacity, necessitating its closure. Residents are urged to minimize water usage to essential needs until further notice.