Major flooding forces evacuations, closures in Truro area
Posted Sep 10, 2012 03:32:20 PM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
A steady stream of rain throughout Nova Scotia on Monday led to massive flooding in and around the Truro area.
Flooding forced the closure of a school, businesses and sent some residents scrambling for higher ground.
Parking lots are flooded, roads are closed and at one point, there were reports there was only one way in and out of the town.
Dykes were breached in at least two places, sending water rushing into the streets.
Truro Police Inspector Rob Hearn tells News 95.7 one breach caused the Cobequid Education Centre to close.
Another breach near the Stanfield’s Factory caused it to close.
“We’ll have to wait and see as the day goes on if the water is going to increase more, of course the high tide tonight could affect that,” he explains.
Hearn says there are no mandatory evacuations in place, but he says the closures were prudent decisions.
High tide will hit just before 9 p.m., and that will send a tidal bore up the Salmon and North rivers.
“As the tidal bore comes in and the two waters meet, it could cause the dike to breach,” says Hearn.
People have had to leave their homes to escape the rising water and Mona O’Brien, District Community Supervisor for The Canadian Red Cross, says they’ve set up two reception centres, one in Bible Hill at the village fire hall and another one at the top of Young Street in Truro at Emanuel Baptist Church.
“People that are arriving at the centres have typically been self-evacuated or they voluntarily evacuated because the roads around them have filled up with water,” she explains.
She says there is a high level of anxiety at the centres.
As each person comes in, Red Cross workers will see what their situation is and then determine whether evacuees just need a place to stay for today or if they need something more long term.
O’Brien expects the centres to get busier as people leave work and return to their flooded homes.
Amazingly, Truro police didn’t have any urgent calls for help and they haven’t received any calls about major injuries.
“I’m not away aware of any other emergency service that may have (got urgent calls) in Truro or the surrounding areas, but as of now, Truro police have not received a call like that,” says Hearn.
