Parts of the Atlantic Ocean of Canada clear after three days of heavy rain and strong winds
A shortage of bread, milk and other staple foods was reported in communities in southwest Newfoundland on Thursday.
And crews were deployed in east and north Nova Scotia to pump water from basements and repair roads that were flooded by torrential rains that struck parts of the Atlantic Ocean for three days.
In the coastal town of Port aux Basques in the southwest corner of Newfoundland, many roads have been repaired, including the Trans-Canada Highway, and a helicopter was deployed on Wednesday to rescue some local residents trapped in a yurt, a round tent shelter mostly from Tarpaulin and tall poles.
Resident Robert Hinks has confirmed that the city's supplies are dwindling.
"At the moment there is no bread in the city, there are no eggs to buy, the fresh milk is sinking," said Hinks in an interview on Thursday in Port aux Basques. "People go to gas stations and refuel for fear of running out of gas, (but) there is nowhere to go anyway."
The city has three petrol stations, "(but) none of the supply trucks come in ... I think they'll empty them next week.
In nearby Codroy, fire chief Brian Osmand said four of the area's highways were bulldozed, stranding 14 families.
"We are now taking the necessary steps to ensure their needs are met," Osmand said in an interview as his team of volunteers pumped water into the basement of the Hynes Chicken Villa in Tompkins, Earth. New.
Osmand said the Codroy Valley Volunteer Fire Department, which serves 16 communities, had already removed more than a dozen cellars as of Thursday. The fire marshal confirmed that surrounding communities lost their regular weekly deliveries of bread, milk and eggs on Wednesday, causing shortages.
"Maybe we could air some basic goods back into the community," he said.
When the storm was at its worst Wednesday night, Osmand said the rain was falling at an incredible rate. "It was uncomfortable," he said, adding that it was too windy to use the fire truck.
"We called the fire department and sometimes we couldn't see a foot in front of us. And it wasn't fog, it was just rain. It was terrible. This is the most rain I've ever seen and I'm 61 years old. ... It was like being hit by 10 dice at the same time.
Meanwhile, the ferry route between Port aux Basques and North Sydney, Nova Scotia, had to change its route due to road closures. Marine Atlantic announced on Thursday that it will temporarily realign the crossing to Argentina in eastern Newfoundland to ensure people and supplies can reach the province. This route is usually only offered in the summer months.
"The staff are working diligently to prepare the terminal (Argentina) to accept customers in this emergency situation," Marine Atlantic said in a statement.
The storm, which has been described as an elongated depression, stalled in the region between Monday and Wednesday. It feeds on the tropical humidity of the Caribbean and has dumped record amounts of rain in many communities, including Port aux Basques, where 165mm has accumulated in the past two days.
In Codroy Valley, a weather station registered 195 mm of rain. In addition, a gust in the Wreckhouse area reached 141 kilometers per hour.
In Nova Scotia, nearly 30 roads and bridges were closed when the rain stopped on Wednesday. Most of the damage occurred in Antigonish County in northeast Nova Scotia and in counties Victoria and Inverness in north Cape Breton.
Nova Scotia Prime Minister Tim Houston said Thursday it would cost at least $ 7 million to repair the damage, adding that the province would apply for federal funding. "There's a lot to be done to rebuild, repair, restore," he said.
Several communities along the northeast coast of Cape Breton have been inundated by more than 200 mm of rain and several landslides have forced the closure of sections of the scenic Cabot Trail in Cape Highlands National Park.
In the Ingonish River, Nova Scotia, on the east side of the Cabot Trail, floods and landslides have been reported during heavy rainfall that poured 278 mm of rain on the small community. On Thursday, the road between Neils Harbor and Ingonish remained impassable, leaving the two communities isolated.
"This week's storm hit our province, our people and our transportation infrastructure hard," said Allan MacMaster, acting Minister for Public Works for Nova Scotia, in a statement. "Keeping people safe is our number one priority, so check with your neighbors, especially the elderly. "
MacMaster has asked residents of the affected areas to avoid the streets.
—Michael MacDonald and Danielle Edwards, The Canadian Press
Aucun commentaire:
Enregistrer un commentaire