Municipal offices across Halifax closed today as crews repair damage from heavy rains
By The Canadian Press on July 24, 2023.
Municipal offices across Halifax will be closed today as emergency crews work to repair damage caused by extensive rainfalls over the weekend. The Halifax Regional Municipality says many areas remain inaccessible, leading to safety concerns for local residents. Rescue efforts are also continuing at a flooded Nova Scotia field where four people, including two children, were lost after rushing water swamped the vehicles they were travelling in. RCMP Cpl. Guillaume Tremblay says efforts are continuing in the area of West Hants, a largely rural municipality northwest of Halifax where the people were reported missing in separate incidents Saturday. Massive floods triggered by widespread rainstorms over the weekend dumped more than 200 millimetres of rain in the Hammonds Plains, Bedford and Lower Sackville areas. While the floodwater had largely receded by Sunday, it left behind a network of destroyed roads and bridges in the province. A provincewide state of emergency declared on Saturday will remain in effect until Aug. 5, and Emergency Preparedness Minister Bill Blair approved a request from the province for continued federal assistance on Sunday. This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 24, 2023. 8-7
