Flooding in Nova Scotia triggers rescue operations as 4 go missing

 

Acute weather conditions continue to take a toll on countries as Canadian authorities reported the heaviest rains in 50 years in the Atlantic region with four people including two children missing after the inundation in Nova Scotia on Saturday.

The torrential downpours have left thousands of homes without power. 

Authorities have estimated that three months of rainfall just occurred in 24 hours in some areas, with officials advising people to stay at home and not to join the rescue efforts due to the dangerous situation.

Police said that two children who went missing were in a car that was swept by the floods while three others escaped.

Another similar incident of the submerged car caused two people to go missing.

Roads and bridges have been damaged by the heavy rains and flooding in Nova Scotia. Authorities also announced a state of emergency in some areas.

Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston said: "We have a scary, significant situation. At least seven bridges would have to be replaced or rebuilt.”

"The property damage to homes ... is pretty unimaginable," he told a news conference.

According to his estimation, water could take several days to recede.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he was very concerned about the floods and promised that the government "will be there" for the province.

Environment Canada said that torrential rain in the eastern area of the province could continue into Sunday.

"People should not assume that everything is over. This is a very dynamic situation," Halifax Mayor Mike Savage told in a news conference, further adding that the city had been hit by "biblical proportions of rain".

The extreme flooding was hit just weeks after the deadly wildfires that hit northeast Canada burning a record number of areas and generating clouds of smoke that stretched south into the US.

Scientists have said that the extreme weather conditions are caused by climate change.