Global Courant
Flooding in Nova Scotia is bringing new problems to a country that has been battling persistent wildfires and extreme weather.
Two people who went missing amid a series of floods in eastern Canada are presumed dead, Nova Scotia authorities said.
Tim Houston, the premier of the Atlantic-facing county, confirmed the deaths on Monday after storms over the weekend brought heavy rains and rising water levels in the county’s largest city, Halifax.
“I extend my deepest condolences to the families and friends of the two people who died following flooding,” Houston said in a statement.
The floods are taking their toll as Canada grapples with a period of extreme weather, including a record-breaking fire season that continues to burn across the country.
The storms in Nova Scotia began on Friday, inundating parts of the Maritime Province with more than 25 cm (10 in) of precipitation in a single day, the amount that normally falls in about three months.
A total of four people, including two children, went missing over the weekend when two separate vehicles were engulfed by floodwaters.
On Monday, Canadian police confirmed they had found the body of a 52-year-old man from Windsor who was reported missing when his car was flooded.
They also found what they believe are the remains of another missing person on the shore of a tidal area in a neighboring county.
“I spoke to @TimHoustonNS today,” Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in a Twitter post on Saturday.
“We discussed how Nova Scotians are always there for each other, the current flood situation and the federal assistance being provided – and I informed him that our government stands ready to provide additional assistance if needed.”
I spoke with @TimHoustonNS Today. We discussed the way Nova Scotians are always there for each other, the current flood situation and the federal assistance being provided – and I let him know that our government is ready to provide additional assistance if needed.
— Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) July 23, 2023
County officials also reported damage to infrastructure, including six bridges destroyed and 19 damaged. About 50 roads were also affected and repair work has been delayed in areas still experiencing flooding.
Railroads connecting to the Port of Halifax, Canada’s fourth largest, also suffered damage.
Emergency services continue to search for missing persons.
