Significant flood damage reported as people are urged to stay at home
Posted Jul 22, 2023 10:15:36 AM.
Last Updated Jul 24, 2023 01:26:47 PM.
The weather was not cooperating on Saturday as many people in the Halifax area were left reeling after flash flooding in the region, and officials are pleading with people to stay off the roads.
Unofficial rainfall totals of more than 250 millimetres (mm) have been reported for some areas, including Bedford where there has been significant flooding. The Bedford Place Mall reportedly suffering some damage from flood waters.
“There is significant damage to roads and infrastructure,” said the municipality on Saturday. “Conditions are not safe for vehicles and pedestrians at this time.”
Here’s a map showing roads blocked because of flooding in the HRM.
Serious damage also reported in areas of Sackville with some people evacuated in hard-hit neighbourhoods. Comfort Centres have been opened at the Beaver Bank and East Dartmouth community centres.
Nova Scotia Power has activated its Emergency Operations Centre in response to the storm, as tens of thousands of Nova Scotians were in the dark on Saturday. The utility said people may not get power back on right away, because of the road conditions.
Halifax Search and Rescue crews have been helping police are fire crews respond to flooding, rescuing people trapped in vehicles or homes by rising floodwaters.
ROAD CLOSURES:
Many roadways in the Halifax area are washed out.
There are closures on Hwy. 101, the Bedford Highway, the Sackville/Bedford Interchange. Go to this link for the latest on closures.
On Prospect Rd. near Blind Bay, the road is washed out. A listener says a 15-foot stretch of the roadway is gone.
SERVICES:
The mobile Household Special Waste (HSW) depot scheduled for today (Saturday, July 22) at the Horizon Community School (168 Redoubt Way, Eastern Passage) has been cancelled. It will be rescheduled. The permanent HSW Depot at 20 Horseshoe Lake Drive will also be closed today.
Two evacuation centres are open for residents dealing with power outages & flooding. The Beaver Bank Community Centre (1583 Beaver Bank Road, Beaver Bank) and East Dartmouth Community Centre (50 Caledonia Road, Dartmouth) will remain open until further notice.
TRANSIT:
If you’re a Halifax transit user, expect significant delays on Saturday. Washed out roads and flooded streets have some bus routes running very late.
