Antigonish, N.S. residents start cleanup following devastating flooding

Recovery efforts underway in Antigonish, N.S. Recovery efforts are underway in the Antigonish, N.S. area, where residents are facing flood waters and washouts. Jonathan MacInnis reports.

HALIFAX — The water levels have receded and now dozens of residents in Antigonish, N.S. are left picking up the pieces following a devastating flood.

“When the rescue people came to get our animals out it was about a foot high,” said Marie Swim, a resident of Indian Garden Trailer Court. “Anything that’s below a foot is destroyed. Furniture, beds, pretty well everything we own.”

The trailer court was hit hard by a damaging rain storm that swept through the Maritimes this week. The rising water and strong currents Tuesday wasn’t just destructive, in some cases, it was dangerous. Dorothy Campbell said it almost swept her granddaughter away.

“The water took her and I just grabbed her as it was taking her and threw her over my shoulder it was crazy, it was instant,” said Campbell.

Like Campbell, many residents at the trailer court were caught off guard by the rapidly rising water.

“One foot went to six feet and the panic was on,” said resident James Green.

Since there wasn’t much time to get out of the area, many people jumped on the back of Green’s truck with only the clothes on their back.

“Put the tailgate down, backed into the doorstep and get them to walk right onto the truck and take them out,” said Green.

As for Swim, she is left dealing with mud covered floors and soaked belongings. Swim said she has insurance but was told Wednesday it will not cover flood damage because it is considered an act of God.

The torrents of water also took a toll on infrastructure. The Department of Transportation is dealing with 25 road closures in the eastern part of the province and Cape Breton. Some of them, in the Antigonish area.

“The Highway 245 north of Antigonish is certainly in the worst condition,” said Antigonish County Warden Owen McCarron. “Eight homes currently don’t have access in or out except for a woods road of a neighbour.”

The Canadian Red Cross has stepped in to provide assistance for almost 70 people from the trailer court.

“We’re in the process of trying to figure out what are their needs. Do they need clothing, have they lost all that in the flood?” said Marc Genuist, a volunteer with the Canadian Red Cross.

An operations centre has been set up at the Antigonish town hall, where town officials, EMO and other organizations are planning how to best deal with the aftermath of the flooding.