Flooding, power outages plague Cape Breton residents

Days of heavy rain proved to be too much for the sewer system in Sydney, N.S., on Thursday.

Motorists had to navigate around several closed roads because they were underwater. As water levels continued to rise, so did concern among residents.

“Not just today, since Monday it’s been crazy. I found myself listening to the forecast more than I normally did because after what happened in 2016 the worry is there,” said Father Bill Burke from St. Marguerite Bourgeoys Parish.

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Burke’s church flooded in the Thanksgiving storm of 2016 that dropped more than 220 millimetres of rain in the Sydney area in 24 hours.

On Thursday the water level reached the parking lot.

“I was over here several times last night and the last time I came was about 1 a.m. and I know there’s nothing I can do, but I was home worrying about it,” said Burke.

A flooded street in Sydney, N.S. (Source: Kyle Moore/CTV News Atlantic)

There were also plenty of travel troubles as flights in Sydney were grounded while ferry service to Newfoundland was cancelled.

“Unfortunately there is high demand to get to Newfoundland this time of year, so we’re going to see that backlog continue,” said Darrell Mercer, the communications director for Marine Atlantic.

Marine Atlantic has been plagued by plenty of weather disruptions this week.

“If there’s any good news that will come of this, it looks like as we move into Saturday there’s a clear weather pattern and we’re hoping it’s going to sustain itself for the long range forecast,” said Mercer.

Sydney, N.S., streets were flooded on Dec. 21, 2023. (Source: Kyle Moore/CTV News Atlantic)

The wild weather continued through Friday with wind gusts reaching near 100 km/hr.

“You can look through history patterns. This is unprecedented, so I think we should be listening to the scientists a little more. This is serious stuff,” said Burke.

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