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Downpour drenches Atlantic Canada, leading to flooding, power outages and mudslides

In western Newfoundland, RCMP said stretches of the Trans-Canada Highway have been washed out or flooded

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HALIFAX — Much of Atlantic Canada is being pummelled with heavy winds and a downpour on Saturday, causing extensive flooding and leaving thousands of Maritimers without power.

Environment Canada said a low-pressure system will slowly track across the East Coast today, drenching the region in heavy rains.

In southern New Brunswick, total rainfall amounts had exceeded 50 millimetres in some areas by Saturday afternoon, with isolated reports of more than 100 millimetres, according to the weather agency.

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Forecasters said southwestern Nova Scotia and Newfoundland’s south coast could be hit with up to 50 millimetres of rain.

The weather agency said the frozen ground has a reduced ability to absorb the deluge, which, combined with unseasonably mild temperatures in some areas, could lead to substantial snowmelt and runoff.

Nova Scotia Power reported about 7,300 customers were without power at around 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, while New Brunswick’s power utility said around 9,000 people were blacked out.

Waves pound the shore on a closed section of Highway 207 in Lawrencetown, N.S. on Friday, Jan. 5, 2018.
Waves pound the shore on a closed section of Highway 207 in Lawrencetown, N.S. on Friday, Jan. 5, 2018. Photo by Andrew Vaughan / CP

Greg McCallum of the New Brunswick Emergency Measures Organization said the rains have caused localized flooding and have damaged roads as well as the roofing of some houses.

Several rivers are at risk of overflowing and are being monitored, MacCallum said, adding that people should be on alert for signs of ice jams.

Town officials in Sussex, N.B., advised residents on a few streets to evacuate their homes due to the risk of flooding, but MacCallum said that by Saturday afternoon it appeared the river had crested and people would likely be able to return to their homes soon.

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He said Hoyt, N.B., has seen significant flooding issues, and boats would be made available to the local fire department in the event that people weren’t able to evacuate.

He said an “extensive” list of roads have been closed in the southern part of the province, and warned drivers to avoid any road covered in water, because there could be sinkholes and washouts.

“We want to make sure people don’t take any unnecessary trips,” MacCallum told reporters. “If you must be on the road, be sure to check for road conditions and obey all road signs.”

NB Power spokesperson Marc Belliveau told reporters forceful gusts have been the primary cause of the outages, with trees knocking out power lines in some areas.

Dozens of crew are working to get customers back on the grid, said Belliveau, and while the situation is “fluid,” it seems manageable enough that he estimates most customers could have their power back by the end of the day.

In western Newfoundland, RCMP said stretches of the Trans-Canada Highway have been washed out or flooded.

“The west coast has had very heavy rainfall overnight and again today and motorists should drive with extreme caution if they have to travel in this area,” police said in a statement.

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Social media users have posted photos of a shed and truck partially submerged in murky water in Benoit’s Cove, N.L.

Resident Vaughn Keeping said a mudslide had blocked access to the only road in town, and excavators and bulldozers had to be brought in to clear the way.

Environment Canada said plummeting temperatures could cause pooling water to ice over as flash freezes take hold in some areas later in the day.

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