Nova Scotia facing heavy rains just two weeks after historic floods

After momentous rains led to devastating floods in many areas of Nova Scotia last month, another big storm has caused flooding, road closures and power outages — and even more bad weather is on the way.

Environment Canada has issued a severe thunderstorm warning for Hants County, effective as of 5 p.m. Saturday. Rainfall warnings are also in effect for Antigonish, Guysborough, Inverness, Richmond, Victoria and Cape Breton counties.

A severe thunderstorm watch is in place for Colchester, Halifax, Lunenburg and Pictou counties.

Potential rainfall rates of 50 millimetres or more are forecast in some areas.

On Saturday morning, a rainfall warning was in effect for the Halifax Metro and Halifax County west, Halifax County — east of Porters Lake, along with Antigonish County, Colchester County — Truro and South, Guysborough County, and Pictou County, according to Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC).

Environment Canada meteorologist Roberta McArthur said the line of thunderstorms clipped southwest Nova Scotia before going offshore and returning to the province around 4 a.m. near Peggys Cove.

McArthur said earlier in the morning thunderstorms had rainfall rates approaching 50 millimetres per hour in the Halifax area. 

Most areas of  the Halifax peninsula received between 100 and 130 millimetres of rain, McArthur said, with parts of Dartmouth recording higher amounts.

CBC Meteorologist Ryan Snoddon said that unlike the rainfall event two weeks ago, the line of rain is not stationary.

Snoddon said the highest rainfall totals on Saturday morning came in a narrow swath where thunderstorms brought the heaviest rainfall and local flooding occurred. These areas received one month’s worth of rain in just one morning, he said..

The rain was expected to continue to move eastward during the day and arrive in Cape Breton Saturday evening.

Shortly after noon, the Halifax Regional Municipality posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, that heavy rain will affect ditches, roads and other infrastructure still being repaired after previous flooding. It asked residents to exercise caution.

The Bedford Highway between Flamingo Drive and Bayview Drive was closed to all traffic for about two hours due to heavy rain and flooding. 

There were reports of flooding on Wyse Road and Faulkland Street in Dartmouth as well.

Shortly after 2 p.m., Nova Scotia’s Department of Public Works posted on X there was flooding on the left lane of Highway 102 near exit 14a and on  MacElmon Rd. between Plains Rd. and Highway 104. The posts said both roads were passable but drivers should be cautious.

As of  7.p.m. the province was reporting multiple road closures throughout Colchester county.

Truro Mayor Bill Mills said the area got substantial rain for a prolonged period on Saturday morning, but by mid-afternoon, things were returning to normal.

He said there was localized flooding in some areas, especially where construction was taking place.

Truro is one of the areas of Nova Scotia that experienced flooding as a result of torrential rain on Saturday. Video uploaded by Ronda Lee Mackenzie.

Earlier Saturday, nearly 10,000 people were without power, but that number has since gone down to just over 900 as of 5:30 p.m., according to Nova Scotia Power’s outage map. 

The Natal Day fireworks display scheduled for Saturday in Halifax has been postponed until Sunday evening, organizers said.

Sunday and Monday are expected to be much brighter days, with just a risk of scattered showers and thunderstorms in the east, said Snoddon. 

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