2 Cape Breton counties lift states of emergency as flooding recovery continues

Local states of emergency in two of Cape Breton‘s counties have been lifted, but one remains in place even as some stranded residents can now travel.

Inverness and Victoria counties lifted the states of emergency on Tuesday evening, three days after the island saw more than 200 millimetres of rain in less than two days.

But Richmond County’s emergency remains in place, even as politicians say they’re making “significant headway” on repairing roads that had been washed away during severe flooding.

Trevor Boudreau, MLA for Richmond, said Tuesday morning that residents stranded due to the washout on West Bay Road between St. George’s Channel and Roberta could now pass in and out of the area “with caution.”

He added there is still a major washout on the side coming from St. Peter’s and the fix would take time.

Nova Scotia’s Department of Public Works said in a post on X that they’ve reopened dozens of roads on the island, but more work is underway.

Public Works Minister Fred Tilley said hundreds of provincial employees and local contractors are working to restore the entirety of the island’s road network within the coming days.

“We are hoping to get all those folks that may be stranded access to the road network very soon,” Tilley said in an interview.

People are being advised to take precautions again as a weak system is expected to bring two to five millimetres of rain Tuesday night that will end Wednesday morning. Nova Scotia Emergency Management cautions southern Inverness County could see higher amounts of 10 to 20 mm.

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But the provincial government is also warning that more widespread rain is set to arrive in Nova Scotia on Thursday, with 15 to 30 mm expected across much of Cape Breton between 9 a.m. and 7 p.m. Up to 45 mm is also possible in parts of northern mainland Nova Scotia.

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As the work on roads continues, several schools in parts of Cape Breton are also closed on Tuesday.

Cape Breton-Victoria Regional Centre for Education said on Monday night that all schools in Victoria County would be closed Tuesday due to the ongoing local state of emergency.

The Strait Regional Centre for Education said schools in Richmond and Inverness counties would also be closed Tuesday due to local states of emergency in those counties. The centre also said classes at Tamarac Education Centre and SAERC were cancelled.

Nova Scotia Community College says its Strait Area Campus and Wagmatcook Learning Centre are also closed, though online classes and sessions will still continue as scheduled.

Parts of the island saw heavy rain this weekend after a slow-moving storm dumped more than 200 millimetres over less than two days. Areas of the northern mainland also received heavy rains.

The flooding has also been linked with one death after a 46-year-old woman from Richmond County was found dead on Saturday, several hours after her abandoned vehicle was discovered near a flooded bridge.

0:29 N.S. authorities warn of increased flooding in Cape Breton

RCMP said the death was not believed to be suspicious. Premier Tim Houston on Sunday said the province was mourning the woman’s death following the flooding.

Lois Landry, warden of the hard-hit Richmond County, said a Zodiac rescue boat operated by a local fire department and a provincial helicopter were used to carry out daily wellness checks for any residents completely cut off by flooding.

At the peak of the flooding, according to a spokesperson for the province’s Department of Public Works, there were more than 120 closed or damaged roads on the island. Another 200 culverts were also washed away from driveways and major routes.

Twenty-five roads remained closed as of Tuesday afternoon, according to Public Works spokesperson Gary Andrea.

He said two damaged bridges will also need replacement, but further inspections are necessary to determine the scope of the work. A cost estimate is not yet known. 

Officials say two damaged bridges will also need replacement.

More rain fell on the region on Monday, though Environment Canada reports amounts ranging from two to 20 mm, with the most amount in Cape Breton being seen in Ingonish Beach of about 20 mm reported.

—with files from The Canadian Press