Four people are missing after intense thunderstorms dumped record amounts of rain across a wide swath of Canada’s Atlantic-coast province of Nova Scotia over the past two days, causing flash flooding, road washouts and power outages.
The floods submerged multiple vehicles, and Royal Canadian Mounted Police spokeswoman Cindy Bayers said two such incidents in West Hants north of Halifax have left two adults and two children unaccounted for.
The two children went missing after the vehicle they were travelling in got stuck underwater, Bayers said, noting the three other occupants were able to escape safely.
Torrential downpours started on Friday afternoon across the Halifax region, dumping more than 200 millimeters of rain in some areas. The port city typically receives about 90-100 mm of rain during an average July.
Based on radar estimates and unofficial observations, Environment Canada said that some areas may have received more than 300 mm in 24 hours. Radar maps show the heaviest rainfall extending along the province’s southwestern shore to a point north of Halifax.
Widespread flooding has also been reported in Lunenberg County, which is west of the Halifax region
Source: Oman News Agency