Nova Scotia is mourning following the loss of life as a result of the weekend floods (Contributed Photo).
Nova Scotia RCMP have shared the devastating news that the bodies of two children who went missing during the floods have been found and identified.
One of the bodies was found yesterday but officials were unable to positively identify it until today. The second body was found this morning in the primary search area in Brooklyn near Windsor. The body of a 52-year-old man who also went missing was found yesterday as well. A fourth missing person, a youth, is still yet to be found.
Premier Tim Houston expressed his sympathy for the families of the victims, as well as the entire province as we grapple with tragic news.
“Another incredibly sad day in what’s now been a series of terrible days in this province. The whole entire provinces is sick with mourning for the loss of three souls now,” said Houston.
The search effort has been massive, with search and rescue teams from West Hants, East Hants, Digby, Annapolis and Valley, multiple fire departments, along with the Department of Natural Resources and Renewables coming together to find the missing people. Civilian contractors and other partners of the RCMP have also been assisting.
RCMP have been using police dogs and air services to help with the search, and they’ve been pumping thousands of gallons of water out of the search area everyday while crews continue to look for the fourth missing person. RCMP Sergeant Rob Frizzell said a lakes worth of water pushed the victim’s vehicles off of the road when the storm surge hit, enough to completely submerge an entire tractor trailer.
“In this province we’ve shown we can we can handle a lot… we’ve had the fires, and the hurricanes, and other series of floods, but but this really doesn’t compare,” said Houston.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau echoed Houston’s sentiment in a Tweet shared Tuesday night.
My heart is in Nova Scotia today. To the families and friends of those who lost their lives in the floods this past weekend, including two children: We cannot imagine your pain, but we are here for you – and at this incredibly difficult time, we are keeping you in our thoughts.
— Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) July 25, 2023
Nova Scotia received a historic rainfall total over the weekend. Nearly triple the amount of rain that usually falls in the entire month of July fell in a matter of hours.
