'We really weren't prepared for that': Fatality after flooding in Cape Breton
A torrential downpour dumped more than 200 millimetres of rain on parts of Cape Breton over the weekend, destroying roads, culverts and bridges while triggering local states of emergency across three counties.
Nova Scotia RCMP say a 46-year-old Cape Breton woman reported missing Saturday morning was found dead later in the day in a flooded area of Richmond County.
First responders recovered the woman's body around 2:30 p.m. AT on Saturday near Kempt Road in Cleveland, N.S. Search crews initiated the response after her vehicle was discovered parked near her residence on the far side of a flooded bridge.
DON’T MISS: Relentless rain prompts states of emergency in Nova Scotia
RCMP stated the death is not considered suspicious, though police did not elaborate. When asked whether the death was related to the flooding, police had no comment.
Richmond County Warden Lois Landry says she has never seen rain like this, comparing the destruction to hurricane damage.
"I think what struck me was [seeing] trees down on properties and across roads," she said. "And we really weren't prepared for that."
She said residents were expecting a typical rain event like those the island sees multiple times a year, but instead faced an unprecedented weather event.
She is not the only one who thinks so.
An RCMP vehicle drives through water from a brook that overflowed on Route 4 near South Side River Bourgeois, Richmond County. (Tom Ayers/CBC)
"We've never experienced anything to this size and effect," said Terry Doyle, CAO for Port Hawkesbury, N.S. "And certainly, that's what I'm being told by others as well."
Doyle spoke Sunday from an emergency response co-ordination centre where representatives from Victoria, Inverness and Richmond counties and the province are gathered. A state of emergency was declared Saturday for those three counties.
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Doyle said the bulk of the damage is in Richmond County, around Bras d'Or Lake, where floodwaters have washed out numerous roads, bridges and driveways.
Municipal leaders are urging residents to stay home so emergency crews can safely repair infrastructure.
Inverness County Warden Bonny MacIsaac echoed that plea, warning drivers that covered roads may be structurally unstable beneath the water. Anyone who must travel should check provincial road conditions at 511 first, she added.
Widespread washouts have left some residents stranded. Amanda Mombourquette, councillor for Richmond County District 4, expressed concern for vulnerable residents cut off from emergency services and essential groceries.
Storm damage on Route 4 in Big Pond, Cape Breton, is shown on Saturday. (Province of Nova Scotia)
Nova Scotia Power's outage map showed more than 1,000 customers provincewide without power as of Sunday morning, primarily in Chéticamp, down from 5,000 earlier in the day.
Coun. Claude Poirier, who represents Chéticamp on Inverness County council, said the local Legion and fire department have opened comfort centres so residents can charge devices or get hot drinks.
Cape Breton municipalities have established a toll-free support line at 902-625-7888 for residents to report non-emergency storm issues.
In a statement posted to social media Saturday, Prime Minister Mark Carney said the federal government is ready to provide any needed support and is in contact with provincial officials.
Thumbnail courtesy of Tom Ayers/CBC.
This article was originally written by Giuliana Grillo de Lambarri and published by CBC News on Sept. 6, 2026.