Widespread flooding damage in Nova Scotia counties of Victoria and Inverness

INGONISH, N.S. -

A section of the Cabot Trail in the Cape Breton Highlands National Park just outside of Ingonish, N.S. completely washed away as a result of torrential rain and flooding during Tuesday’s storm.

"Estimates of 200 millimetres of rain that we received," said Lyle Donovan, emergency management coordinator for Victoria County.

When the highway collapsed on the Cabot trail, a Parks Canada truck was also brought down with it.

The driver is now recovering from the crash.

"One of their employees was passing over an area and the road gave way underneath him and the truck went backwards into the hole. He was lucky to escape," Donovan said.

A few kilometres away, flood waters have left residents of Doucette Road in Ingonish stranded from the rest of their community. Ruth Daisley says she and her neighbours weren't able to get out on time.

"There was nothing we could do," Daisley said. “When we had a flood before, the fire department came and helped us. But they wouldn't come in. They had too many other places to go."

Some holes on the Highland Links Golf Course were underwater on Wednesday. At the Deervale Cottages along the Cabot Trail, the main driveway has been destroyed.

"She flooded bad," said property owner Lewis Morrissey. "Everybody with backhoes is going to be busy, busy, busy. We're not a priority, I don't think, so we're going to be at the bottom of the list."

The damage in Victoria and Inverness counties spans across a large geographic area.

There have been road washouts and damage to bridges in other communities, including a section along the New Haven Road, along with a rural road in Tarbotvale and some areas close to the Margaree River.

"Currently, there is only two remaining road closures in Inverness County”, said Inverness County CAO Keith MacDonald. “Certainly there are some other roads that have been impacted – secondary roads."

The rainfall totals topped out at 263 mm in Ingonish Beach, where residents are currently cut-off from all communities north of the gaping hole in the highway.

"They cannot get to Buchanan Memorial Hospital - their local hospital. The road is impassable and will be for several days”, said Donovan.

Donovan and MacDonald say the widespread damage in the two counties will take quite some time to repair.