Nova Scotia braces for heavy rain on anniversary of deadly 2023 flash flood

Heavy rain is forecast for Nova Scotia, prompting Environment Canada to issue a yellow rainfall warning for parts of the province. Officials are urging residents to take the forecast seriously as up to 60 mm of rain could fall, with the possibility of more during thunderstorms.

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As we have these warnings out, we’ll be watching them today and adjusting if necessary if we need to add to any of those.

The warning comes on the third anniversary of the devastating flash floods in July 2023 that claimed the lives of four people. The victims, including two six-year-old children, a 52-year-old man, and a 14-year-old girl, were swept away by floodwaters near Brooklyn, N.S.

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I didn’t need anyone to remind me of the anniversary.

Emergency Management Minister Kim Masland, who was public works minister at the time of the 2023 floods, stated the anniversary remains deeply impactful. "It’s something that stays very much embedded in my mind and how I was feeling that morning," she said.

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It’s something that stays very much embedded in my mind and how I was feeling that morning.

Since the fatal incidents, significant steps have been taken to enhance crisis communication. A report following the 2023 floods identified challenges with timely emergency alerts, partly due to poor cellphone service and older devices not receiving alerts. In response, the province has launched the Nova Scotia Emergency Alert app, which allows people in areas with limited cellular service to still receive critical warnings. The creation of a dedicated Department of Emergency Management, with Masland as minister, also signifies a strengthened focus on crisis response.

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We have created the Nova Scotia Emergency Alert app, and that has been incredible. It allows people that would be in areas that does not have cellular service or Wi-Fi, 3G, they can actually through the LTE … still get those alerts.