Nova Scotia floods: Search continues for 4 missing people, Canada Post suspends service | Globalnews.ca
The search continues in Nova Scotia for the four people who went missing during the devastating floods that swept through the region over the weekend.
Two children, a youth, and an adult remain unaccounted for after two vehicles became submerged underwater in the Hants County area on Saturday following hours of heavy rainfall.
RCMP spokesperson Cpl. Guillaume Tremblay said Monday morning that the search is ongoing, and more information will be made available today.
Workers are pumping water from a flooded field to make it easier for search and rescue teams to access the area. Abraham Zebian, mayor of West Hants Regional Municipality, told The Canadian Press that search teams are pumping more than 94,000 litres of water a minute from the field.
In a statement released Sunday, police said they completed an underwater search of a flooded field and found an unidentified pick-up truck, which is believed to be the vehicle that the children were travelling in.
“Search efforts continue in the same area for the four people and the second vehicle,” police said.
Massive floods triggered by widespread rainstorms over the weekend dumped more than 200 millimetres of rain in the Hammonds Plains, Bedford and Lower Sackville areas.
While the floodwater had largely receded by Sunday, it left behind a network of destroyed roads and bridges in the province. Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston said the catastrophic rain over the weekend destroyed six bridges and damaged another 19.
Speaking during a media briefing Sunday, Houston said between 500 and 600 people are still unable to return home after being forced out by rising floodwater.
A provincewide state of emergency declared on Saturday will remain in effect until Aug. 5, and Emergency Preparedness Minister Bill Blair approved a request from the province for continued federal assistance on Sunday.
Canada Post suspends service
Canada Post said Monday that collection and delivery operations in Nova Scotia are on hold due to severe flooding in the region. Post offices are closed for the day and mail will not be delivered.
Operations are paused until the company can “better evaluate safe areas for delivery,” it said.
“Canada Post continues to assess the situation and options to best serve the people of Nova Scotia and keep them connected. As we do that, the safety of our employees is our number one priority,” it said.
“We thank all Nova Scotians for their patience during this difficult period for the province. We will continue to provide updates as the situation evolves.”
Municipal offices across Halifax are closed Monday as emergency crews work to repair damage. Halifax Regional Municipality says many areas remain inaccessible, leading to safety concerns for local residents.
— with files from The Canadian Press
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