“This is very serious. This flooding has been rapid and we are taking steps to ensure that Nova Scotians are protected“, said the minister responsible for the Office of Emergency Management, John Lohr.
The currently most affected areas they are the towns of East and West Hants, the city of Halifax, and the counties of Lunenburg and Queens.
“Scary” situation
The ‘premier’ of Nova Scotia, Tim Houston, has described the current situation in the province as “terrifying and significant” and has ensured that are working to “assess the damage and start repairs as soon as it is safe to do so.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has spoken to Houston to let him know that the government “stands ready to offer additional assistance.”
“We are here to help you. We will contribute resources to help with evacuationsand we stand ready to provide any additional federal resources that are necessary,” Trudeau wrote on his Twitter profile. “Please stay safe, everyone,” he added.
storm advance
The floods have prompted the authorities to declare a state of emergency throughout the territory of Nova Scotia “to ensure that the entire province is protected as the storm progresses.”
“As the risk of rain and flooding continueswe need to keep people off the roads so first responders and critical infrastructure personnel can do their jobs to restore our roads and keep people safe,” Lohr said.
The state of emergency will remain in effect until August 5 and allows limit travel in “heavily” affected areasdeploy key human and material assets for response and recovery, and facilitate the coordinated restoration of affected critical infrastructure.
