Team Rubicon has returned to Nova Scotia to help with the recovery from last month’s devastating floods.
This marks the third time in a year that volunteers with the veteran-led organization have descended on the province to provide disaster relief.
Since September 2022, they’ve assisted with the cleanup after post-tropical storm Fiona, May’s wildfires and now the flash flooding.
“They’re an amazing group of people and they even have someone that stays with me,” homeowner Kathryn Peterson says. “It’s hard because you’re going through all of your personal things.”
She’s one of many seeking assistance from the organization after the historic levels of rain on July 21, which caused extensive damage, including washed-out roads, damaged bridges and swamped buildings.
So far, strike teams have completed 16 site surveys and work orders on three homes in Bedford and Lower Sackville.
The work of the Greyshirts includes disaster mapping, mucking out flooded homes and curbside debris management.
Peterson was home with her teenage daughter when the floods broke out. They tried to evacuate but couldn’t get their car out of the area.
Their home is on Union Street in Bedford near Bedford Place Mall. Peterson says she and her daughter trudged through the flooded road with the help of a neighbour to get back home. She says her car is a writeoff.
That night they watched the water pour in over their belongings. Her daughter’s room was in the basement.
“She’s finding it very difficult, of course, because all of her personal belongings — her bed, everything is gone, her bureau, her clothes,” Peterson says.
Now the Greyshirts have stepped in to clear out the home. About 40 have signed up for the operation.
The incident commander for the Atlantic region says he had about 10 days off between the wildfire response and this cleanup.
Rodger Sloan says the flood damage to homes is so extensive they’re spending up to three days at each site.
“Some stuff is to keep, some stuff has to go,” Sloan says. “Anything fabric, most wood items, anything that’s touched by sewage pretty much has to go. It’s almost like a fire. The only thing you can wind up keeping is anything metal or porcelain.”
He says they’re also worried about preventing further mold damage.
“So they can actually continue to live in the house because a lot of people are still trying to live upstairs and their power has been shut off and their water has been shut off,” Sloan says.
Meantime, Peterson says the biggest help right now would be a way to dispose of her lost belongings.
Currently, they’re being tossed into an enormous pile on her front lawn.
“I hope the city can get it together so we can get some dumpsters so we can clean off our front lawns,” she says.