HALIFAX — Parts of Nova Scotia were soaked with heavy rain that caused localized flooding on Saturday just two weeks after a torrential downpour triggered floods that swept four people to their deaths and washed out several roads and bridges.
The latest downpour prompted Environment Canada to issue a rainfall warning for the Halifax area along with parts of central, northern and eastern Nova Scotia.
Meteorologist Paula Sutherland said a line of thundershowers and rain moved across western Nova Scotia shortly after 1 a.m. Saturday, dumping over 130 millimetres in some areas while others saw about 30 millimetres.
“It was quite varied with the rainfall amounts,” Sutherland said in an interview. “About 5 a.m. through the Halifax area we started to see the heavier rainfall - upwards of 80 to 140 millimetres.”
Sutherland said the storm system was moving eastward and had reached the central and northeastern parts of the province by mid-day.
“We are starting to see some breaks in the rain over Halifax now (around noon), although we are looking at showers continuing for most of the day,” she said.
Earlier Saturday, Halifax police closed a section of the Bedford Highway to traffic and advised motorists to exercise caution because of localized flooding. The highway was reopened by early afternoon.
Some roads on the Dartmouth side of Halifax Harbour were quickly swamped, including Wyse Road just off the MacDonald Bridge, where Suthchan Labana owns a local bagel shop. Although the water didn’t reach her business, Labana said it affected traffic trying to travel the street.
“There were like five cars stalled … the water was up to the knees,” she said. “It didn’t come to our door, but it wasn’t far.”
Police later reopened Wyse Road to traffic.
Last month’s storm, which dumped 250 millimetres of rain in some parts of the province, led to extensive flash flooding in several low-lying areas.
Four people also died during the storm when the vehicles they were travelling in got swept away by rising floodwaters. They have since been identified as 52-year-old Nicholas Holland, 14-year-old Terri-Lynn Keddy and six-year-olds Natalie Hazel Harnish and Colton Sisco.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 5, 2023.
The Canadian Press
