Search continues for N.S. youth who went missing during torrential flash flooding

A multi-agency search continued Wednesday for a missing youth who was in a car that was submerged by floodwaters early Saturday morning in West Hants, N.S.

The bodies of three others who went missing in the same area amid the torrential rain storms have been recovered.

A 52-year-old Windsor man and a child were found dead at the RCMP’s primary search site in the community of Brooklyn, where police say a “lake’s worth” of water has been diverted out of the field by industrial high flow pumps.

The remains of another missing child were found in the coastal area of a nearby community.

The two children were travelling with three other people who managed to escape when the vehicle they were in was submerged in rushing waters.

Search efforts for a missing youth under the age of 18 will continue until the primary search site and nearby coastal areas have been thoroughly explored, police said Wednesday. The youth was travelling with the 52-year-old man.

West Hants RCMP Sgt. Rob Frizzell said Tuesday two sets of people, who are not connected to each other, were evacuating the area on a road off Highway 14 around 4 a.m. Saturday, when rushing flood waters pushed their vehicles — a large pickup truck and an SUV — off the road and into a nearby field.

West Hants, East Hants, Digby, Annapolis and the Valley rescue teams are involved in the search, alongside multiple local fire departments, Department of Natural Resources and Renewables, and RCMP dog and air services.

During the record-breaking storms that began July 21, parts of Nova Scotia saw 250 millimetres of rain, causing widespread damage to roads, bridges and homes during the flash flooding.

Halifax Mayor Mike Savage said during a news conference Wednesday that the municipality has been “pounded” by recent and frequent extreme weather events.Halifax Mayor Mike Savage spoke to reporters Wednesday about the municipality's response to recent floods. (CTV Atlantic)

"For many of us, these events have come with the stark realization that climate change is here," Savage said.

The mayor referenced the wildfires that began in late May, forcing 16,000 residents to evacuate and destroying 200 homes, and post-tropical storm Fiona, which in September caused widespread damage in the region.

"It's on our doorstep. It's real, and we must find new ways to meet this challenge, the challenge of our lifetime."

When asked about concrete actions the municipality is taking to confront climate change, Savage referenced efforts included in the city’s climate change action plan.

Nova Scotians who have suffered property damage from this past weekend’s flash flooding can apply for up to $200,000 in uninsurable losses, per household, the province announced Wednesday.

Nova Scotia’s disaster financial assistance program is open to residents, municipalities, small businesses and not-for-profits that have incurred losses not covered by insurance.

Applications for funding are open and are available online, at Access Nova Scotia centres, and through local MLA offices.

As well, the province announced that as of 6 p.m. Wednesday it is ending the state of emergency that was declared on Saturday.

Federally, Ottawa has announced it will replace key travel documents that were lost, damaged or destroyed in the flood free of charge. This includes passports, permanent resident cards and proof of citizenship.

For more Nova Scotia news visit our dedicated provincial page.