Canada declares state of emergency in Nova Scotia as floods leave 4 missing, including 2 children

Two children were among the missing, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police said, with Environment Canada predicting torrential rain continuing into Sunday

The severe flooding on the east coast comes amid drought and heatwaves elsewhere that have caused the worst wildfire season in the country’s history

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A man wearing chest waders walks past cars abandoned in floodwaters in a shopping centre car park in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada on Saturday. Photo: The Canadian Press via AP

Published: 4:57am, 23 Jul 2023Updated: 10:24pm, 23 Jul 2023

The Canadian province of Nova Scotia has declared a state of emergency over severe flooding that has washed out roads and bridges as authorities search for four missing people, including two children.

Heavy rainfall on Canada’s east coast prompted the authorities to declare a province-wide state of emergency late on Saturday evening to limit travel to the affected areas, free up more response staff and get time to restore critical infrastructure.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police, meanwhile, were searching for two children, along with two others, missing after flooding submerged the vehicles they were travelling in.

Heavy rainstorms over the weekend, the worst in more than 40 years, have left thousands without power.

The flooding on Canada’s east coast comes amid drought and heatwaves elsewhere that have caused the worst wildfire season in the country’s history, straining its emergency response resources and sending blankets of smoke across North America and beyond.

Buildings upended on a riverbank as a man paddles a kayak through floodwater in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada on Saturday. Photo: The Canadian Press via AP

The rainstorm, which started on Friday, had dumped more than 20cm (8 inches) on parts of the eastern province of Nova Scotia by 8am local time on Saturday.