By Friday at 10 p.m., the Halifax Regional Municipality issued an emergency alert, asking drivers to stay off all roads and highways unless it was an emergency.
A torrential downpour, accompanied by persistent thunder and lightning, started around 3:30 p.m. Friday. By 8 p.m., the rain was still coming down in buckets, causing chaos for drivers and homeowners, and continued throughout the night.July 22, 2023 Environment Canada has issued rainfall warnings for much of the province and notes some areas have already received more than 150 millimetres of rain. It’s predicting an additional 40 to 100 millimetres could fall today.
In fact, reports had more than 200 millimetres of rain falling alone for parts of Bedford on Friday evening.Stephen Martin, a fire chief with the municipality, said many roads in the Bedford area are covered in water.Officials in Halifax say the rain has already caused significant damage to roads and infrastructure. In some areas, submerged streets are littered with abandoned vehicles.
Nova Scotia’s emergency system sent out an evacuation order early Saturday morning for residents of the St. Croix area in Hants County due to a dam overflowing.