Cape Breton Regional Municipality Reported Several Roads in the Sydney and Glace Bay Areas Were Closed Due to Flooding

Nova Scotia authorities are warning against unnecessary travel in the northeastern part of the province after torrential rainfall caused widespread flooding, damaged roads, and knocked out power for tens of thousands of customers. The province's Department of Emergency Management said Saturday afternoon that heavy rain damaged dozens of roads in Cape Breton Island and the Eastern Mainland. "Your best route right now might be no route at all, the department said in warnings posted to social media, adding that conditions can change quickly and drivers should turn back if they come across a submerged street.

Cape Breton Regional Municipality reported several roads in the Sydney and Glace Bay areas were closed due to flooding. Nova Scotia's provincial road conditions map showed at least 13 road closures across the island and nearby mainland. A slow-moving weather system brought heavy downpours and thunderstorms to Nova Scotia's northeast region on Friday, with over 200 millimetres of rain recorded in some areas by Saturday morning.

Several videos posted to social media showed water rushing over roadways and breaking through barriers, and residents in Sydney were recorded paddling down flooded streets in kayaks. Environment and Climate Change Canada issued an orange alert level rainfall warning for all of Cape Breton early Saturday morning, warning of rainfall rates of up to 20 millimetres an hour in some areas. Nova Scotia Power reported nearly 40,000 customers were without power on Saturday afternoon, with the utility listing high winds and rain as the reason for most of the outages in Cape Breton.

The national weather service also issued yellow rainfall alerts for large areas of northern Nova Scotia and all of Prince Edward Island, saying the rain isn't expected to let up until Monday morning. The ferry service between Wood Islands, P.E.I., and Caribou, N.S., was cancelled for Saturday due to high winds, Northumberland Ferries Ltd." said.