Extensive Flooding Hits Nova Scotia, Four Remain Missing

Updated July 24, 2023, 10:30 a.m. PST

• The Canadian province of Nova Scotia is under a state of emergency due to devastating floods, and four people remain missing, including two children. The emergency is set to expire on August 5.
• The two missing children were last seen near Halifax when the car they were traveling in was submerged. In a separate incident, two adults remain missing after their car drove into deep water.
• The heavy rainfall began Friday, and some regions received 10 inches of rain in 24 hours, as much as the province typically receives in three months. It is the most rainfall since Hurricane Beth hit Halifax in 1971.
• Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston estimated the cost of repairs on roads, homes, bridges, and infrastructure to be in the "hundreds of millions" of dollars range.
• The flooding damaged a section of railway track used by freight trains heading to the Port of Halifax, which contributes $3.33 billion to the province's annual economic output.
• Across the province, 19 bridges were damaged, six were completely destroyed, and 600 people are still under evacuation orders.
• At the peak of the storm over the weekend, 80,000 people had no electricity.
• The Federal Emergency Preparedness Minister approved a request for federal assistance.

Updated July 17, 2023, 12:30 p.m. PST

• Pennsylvania is the latest state to be impacted by flash flooding, following last week's state of emergency declarations in Vermont and New York. Bucks County has been hit most heavily.
• Five people have died due to the flooding, and two children are currently missing. The two children, a nine-month-old and a two-year-old, were swept away from the family car on their way to a barbecue on Saturday. The children's mother was confirmed dead, while the father and the children's one sibling made it to safety. 
• In July, parts of the northeast received 200% to 300% of their average monthly rainfall.
• New York’s Gov. Kathy Hochul, said:

“A flash flood doesn’t give you warning. It comes literally in a flash. And in those moments, your car can go from a place of safety to a place of death.”

Updated July 11, 2023

• Biden has declared a state of emergency for Vermont amid life-threatening flash floods that are expected to continue throughout the day.
• Roads in some regions of the state are fully submerged, and hundreds of people remain trapped in their houses.
• The declaration frees up federal resources to support the state. Rescue teams have come from Connecticut, Michigan, and North Carolina to help, and emergency teams have already conducted dozens of rescues.
• Vermont's capital, Montpelier, has shut the downtown area until at least the afternoon today as officials wait for the river of floodwater cutting through the city to recede.  
• New York and Vermont have seen the worst flooding in a decade this week.

What's the story?

• A "once in a millennium" weather event has left nearly 13 million people in the northeastern U.S. under flood warnings. 
• Several cities in New York received eight inches of rain overnight, with thunderstorms expected to continue into this week. Flash-flood warnings remain in effect in parts of Vermont and north-western New York. Vermont could see the worst flooding since Hurricane Irene hit the state in 2011 when 11 inches of rain fell.
• The National Weather Service has issued flood warnings for parts of Connecticut, Pennsylvania, New York, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, and New Jersey until Tuesday afternoon.
• The National Weather Service tweeted that "a considerable flood threat with a high risk of excessive rainfall is expected across much of New England."

New York under state of emergency

• Gov. Kathy Hochul has declared a state of emergency for Orange and Ontario counties. The governor said:

"The amount of water is extraordinary and it's still a very dangerous situation."

• Footage of streets in New York state submerged in flood waters has gone viral and shows the scale of the damage. Over 12,00 homes have no electricity due to the storms.
• One thousand emergency workers have been called on to assist the stricken regions.
• Over 1,000 flights to New York airports have been canceled, and Amtrak has suspended passenger train service between Albany and New York.
• Officials estimate that the storms have already caused millions in damage to houses, businesses, and roadways.

Have you been impacted by the floods?

—Emma Kansiz  

(Photo Credit: Twitter/CTV News)