Cleanup continues after devastating flooding in Halifax area

The cleanup continues in the Halifax area after last week's devastating floods, but the full extent of the damage won't become clear until more water recedes.

"Our infrastructure, just like ourselves, is being pounded by cumulative weather events," Mayor Mike Savage told reporters in an update on Wednesday.

"And we need to understand that all of these things are pounding away at our infrastructure, at our roads and our culverts. So even though we get past one event, it might be a hurricane and then we have the fire and then we have the rain. They're all taking an impact on infrastructure."

In a news release on Wednesday, the municipality said drivers should watch out for debris and avoid shoulders of the road. The municipality posted a map that shows blocked roads and other damage.

Lucas Pitts, the acting executive director of public works for the municipality, said private contractors have been brought in to help with the work.

"Our crews are focused on cleaning up and assessing and repairing the damage," said Lucas Pitts, active executive director for public works.

More damage exposed as water recedes

Pitts said 195 work orders of 278 have been closed so far, but that he expects more to come in as more damage is exposed. Some repairs could take weeks.

The Nova Scotia government said it will lift its provincewide state of emergency on Wednesday at 6 p.m. It declared the state of emergency on Saturday.

The municipality launched a flood registry on Tuesday so officials can help those who are stranded at home and struggling to access things they need because of damage and blocked roads.

So far, 45 people have been in touch — but none have requested any immediate assistance. 

Erica Fleck, the municipality's division chief of emergency management, said around 150 people are know to have been displaced.

Team Rubicon, the volunteer organization made up of military veterans, first responders, and civilians who come together to help respond to disasters that helped people sift through the wildfire damage in Nova Scotia, have been asked to come back.

A 1-in-1,000-year event

Fleck said the flooding last week was a one-in-1,000-year event because of high water levels.

"We do know that it's weakened some of our infrastructure in the ecosystem already," she said.

Fleck said the municipality is conducting a "hazard risk vulnerability assessment" to identify risks and vulnerabilities, incorporating climate change data.

Getting rid of waste

Damaged bridges will require structural assessments before they can be reopened, and water levels must drop to normal in order to complete the assessments, the municipality said in the release.

From now until Friday, Aug. 4, the curbside garbage bag limit is up to eight (from the usual six).

Excessive food waste can be dropped off at the Ragged Lake Organics Facility and the Burnside Composting Facility Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Residents must separate food from containers, and anything glass is not allowed. For a fee, flood-related demolition, construction and renovation debris can be taken to Halifax C&D Recycling.

Search for missing tuber ends

Avoid areas in parks and trails affected by flooding, the municipality advised. It is also asking people not to swim or boat on lakes for safety reasons. Updates on sports fields, ball diamonds and all-weather fields can be found on the municipality's website.

Officials have stopped looking for a man who went missing while tubing on Lunenburg County's Golden River on Monday. The RCMP said Wednesday it's believed he was swept out to sea.

The man, 32, was tubing with two other men on the river northwest of Chester, N.S., when his tube capsized. He was last seen drifting down the river holding on to the tube.

On Wednesday, the province announced residents can now apply for funds to cover uninsured flood losses. The program covers up to $200,000 per household, small business and not-for-profit organization.

Applications for the program are available at Access Nova Scotia centres, MLA offices and online.