It makes me wonder what's coming next - an earthquake? a plague of locusts?
Nova Scotia has been hit by another disaster, the third in less than a year.
First was Hurricane Fiona last September. Then the wildfires in May and June.
Last Friday the sky opened and dropped over 250 mm of rain in central NS, much of which came in less than seven hours.
Luckily, I live in a different part of NS and we had hard rain but not to the extent central NS had.
However, my son lives in the hard-hit area. The basement of his residence flooded. He had to get the power company to shut off the electricity (it's hot and humid here). There is no way in or out of his area at the current time. Many roads and bridges are still under water. The tides kept the water levels high. It is hoped that the water may recede tomorrow. Only then will the full extent of damage be known.
Four people are missing: two children, one youth, and one adult. I'm surprised the number wasn't higher, but feel for the families. Their lives have changed forever.
Anyway, I just wanted to let you know what's going on.
(Climate change. THAT is what's going on.)
Here is a little map with more info on the rainfall: (sorry it's not bigger)
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| Source: Ryan Snoddon, Meterologist (Facebook) |
I hope the coming week will treat you well.
The weather has been nightmarish lately. I hope the water subsides quickly where your son is. Unfortunately the summer is just beginning.
ReplyDeleteWith any luck, the next hurricane will blow the locusts into a wildfire before they get to you.
The map clicks to full size. At 25.4mm per inch the 250+mm of rain is about 10 inches. That's a freeking LOT of rain.
ReplyDeleteYeah, the weather has gone crazy. We got eight feet of snow this year, twice. We happen to be moving to a much lower elevation soon, but the weather there will be different than how I remember it from all of those decades ago, just hopefully not in ways that make living there too difficult.
ReplyDeleteIn other news, we just got a car, after the last one went off of the road on the way to a doctor appointment at the end of last month. Our friend Rob down in Oakland got both of them for us, for really good prices considering what used cars have been costing lately. We were both pretty much OK, but my neck is still a little stiff. For that I am thankful, it could have been much worse.
I hope the flooding hasn't done too much damage to your son's place. Y'all could use a break about now.
-Doug in Sugar Pine
When will it end? My heart goes out to all those affected.
ReplyDeleteI'd heard there was rain and flooding somewhere, but didn't catch where as I was washing dishes at the time. Some of that rain needs to go to Europe and Greece where the fires are out of control. I hope your son is doing okay and really hope those four people are found safe and well.
ReplyDeleteThat's a lot of rain in seven or so hours. We too would have flooding. The map size is fine. I see Bridgewater was the worst hit, and some areas really missed out. And there is Sydney, where US citizens disembark from aircraft and are amazed at how close Australia is to their own country.
ReplyDeleteHow are things going with you? And with your mother?
You must be wondering what further woes befall you. Floods are awful and the damage is not immediately obvious, as you say. Young lives lost are a tragedy, always. Wishing you drier, kinder weather.
ReplyDeleteThanks for posting. I wondered about you when I saw news about the flooding. I'm sorry for your son. I hope his home will dry out and be okay.
ReplyDeleteLove,
Janie
Crazy. Too hoy in some places, too wet and cold elsewhere. I hope soon summer - normal edition - will return!
ReplyDeleteGlad to hear that you're safe. Good to hear you make a strong pitch that climate change is real.
ReplyDeleteStay safe, there. One of my cousins just moved to Halifax. We sure are a big, spread out family. I like thinking of you as neighbors.
ReplyDeleteI've been thinking about you the last couple of days and this morning decided to leave a comment regardless but so pleased to see your post. What an absolutely miserable time Nova Scotia has been having.
ReplyDeleteInfidel: Pitting one disaster against another - I like that :) Yes, the weather has been awful everywhere in the world. A taste of things to come, I'm afraid.
ReplyDeleteMike: You're not wrong :) Thanks for the heads up about clicking on the map. I didn't realize it would do that.
Doug: Eight feet of snow - twice?!! I don't remember hearing about that! Cars are scarce here too. I'm glad you didn't have a worse outcome in the car accident. It could have been very bad indeed.
Elephant's Child: I don't think it WILL end, which is scary. Yes, I am so sorry for the families of those missing. There is probably not a happy ending for that, realistically speaking, although I'd never post that thought on any local public platform.
River: Me, too. And I had been thinking along the same lines as you about the rain and the fires.
Andrew: Good eye to catch the higher rainfall in Bridgewater. There was nothing in the news here about that, probably because it didn't cause the damage found elsewhere. Ah, yes, Sydney vs Sydney :) As for me and Mom, stressful is how I'd put it :)
jabblog: Thank you for your wishes - I hope the water recedes soon.
Janie Junebug: My son is actually renting but the house belongs to my daughter and her husband, so it will still be top of mind for all of us for the foreseeable future.
Charlotte: I agree!
Red: I don't understand how some people continue to be so blind about climate change. And apparently there is tourism springing up around the record-breaking temperatures; people are flying to the hottest places on earth to experience 50C temperatures. Crazy! (and adding to emissions by flying unnecessarily)
37p: Neighbours! I love that! I will think of them that way too. Have you been in touch? Were they affected by the storm? I hope they are okay.
Susan: And it's the same around the world, unfortunately.
It sounds like the apocalypse! I hope your son fares ok through all of this! Take care!
ReplyDeleteWow. What in the world is going on. Well, climate change, like you mentioned but it just seems bonkers to get so much of it in one year. Take care and I hope all is well with your son.
ReplyDeleteI'm happy you are safe, and my heart breaks for all the missing and drowned. We had a very similar flooding incident here a few years ago; young men trapped in an underground garage and the power to the doors failed. Just horrible.
ReplyDeleteWow, the hits just keep coming - what a devastating rainfall! I'm glad you're okay, but sorry to hear your son's home was damaged. I think if I were you, I'd be afraid to even joke about locusts or earthquakes. Hang in there, and stay safe!
ReplyDeleteMarie: Thank you!
ReplyDeleteMr. Shife: Thanks - Yeah, it seems to have really piled on this year.
Joanne: What a tragedy - one can only imagine their terror. I fear water for many reasons, and that's one of them - electrical doors and windows that don't work when they get wet. Those young men paid the price for that failure.
Diane: The water receded quickly but now cleanup begins. My son was renting from my daughter and her husband, so although it's not his job to remediate the damage, the problem is still "in the family", so to speak. How are you doing in the wildfires still raging in BC? I hope all is okay with you.
Thanks, jenny_o. The fire down the road from our place is still not "out", but it's been under control for almost a month now, so the threat is low(ish). We've been lucky here on the Island so far - the worst fires are on the mainland so they're no threat to us and we aren't dealing with the smoke. We just had almost 1/4" of rain a couple of days ago - our first rain for over a month - so there's hope. If only half of your rain had come here instead of going there!
ReplyDeleteDiane: Indeed! Things are out of whack all over. I'm glad you are safe(ish) and hope you get more rain (but not All The Rain) soon.
ReplyDeleteHumanity is resilient but we have our limits and I'm thinking Nova Scottians are probably at theirs.
ReplyDeleteIs your son doing ok? Loss of power is a big inconvenience, if nothing else
I hope your son is able to get his residence back to normal before too long. These are trying times for millions people all over the world. I am pleased to hear that your place is okay Jenny.
ReplyDeleteThe images & news reports were devastating. Climate change indeed.
ReplyDeletekylie: Work on roads and through insurance companies is happening at an amazingly rapid rate, actually. Son is okay and house is being remediated.
ReplyDeleteYP: You're right, it's not just NS that is having a hard time. We are just beginning to understand what hardship is - many people have been suffering from many causes through the years. We've historically been lucky, weather-wise.
DBS: Yesterday I was on one of the streets that had been severely flooded just 10 days before. It was dry and unremarkable. To think that four people lost their lives due to rapidly rising water and now things are just as they were before the rain started is almost unbelievable.
Were the four people ever found and how is your son doing today?
ReplyDeleteIvy: The bodies of the four have all been found. It's so sad. And insurance is sorting out the basement damage, which is good.
ReplyDelete