Heavy rainfall is expected to continue in parts of Cape Breton Monday, following torrential rain throughout the weekend.
More than 200 millimetres of rain fell over parts of the island over the weekend, destroying roads, culverts and bridges while triggering local states of emergency across three counties — Richmond, Inverness and Victoria — which remain in place.
On Monday morning, Environment Canada issued rainfall warnings for eastern Cape Breton, including metro Sydney and Cape Breton and Victoria counties, but it has since lifted those warnings.
Rainfall amounts of 25 to 40 millimetres are expected from Monday morning through this afternoon, with higher amounts possible during thunderstorms.
Nova Scotia RCMP said a 46-year-old Cape Breton woman reported missing Saturday morning was found dead later in the day in a flooded area of Richmond County.
46-year-old Cape Breton woman found dead in flooded area
Concerns over flood-compromised roads remain across Cape Breton
Warden Lois Landry told the CBC’s Information Morning Monday that the unprecedented rainfall has devastated local infrastructure, cutting off multiple communities, including an area near River Bourgeois.
Landry said the major priority for emergency crews on Monday is opening up at least one access route to the area.
Jackie Organ, warden of Victoria County, said they are still waiting for an assessment from local emergency services of the area around Iona before lifting the state of emergency.
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“There’s more damage over there than they thought, so they just want to be cautious and assess it more today,” Organ said.
Organ urges residents to prioritize safety on compromised roads and reach out to local officials if they encounter issues.
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