It’s an extra long weekend for many students in Cape Breton following torrential rain and widespread flooding. A slow-moving storm dumped more than 200 millimetres of rain on the island and parts of northern mainland Nova Scotia over less than two days. The flooding has also been linked to one death after a 46-year-old woman from Cleveland, N.S., was found dead on Saturday. State of emergency Municipal officials declared a state of local emergency on Saturday in Inverness, Victoria and Richmond counties due to the flooding and widespread damage to roads, bridges and other infrastructure. Residents in the affected areas are being urged to avoid all non-essential travel and to check 511 Nova Scotia before travelling. School closures Several schools are closed Tuesday due to the ongoing state of local emergency. Other closures Service Nova Scotia says the Port Hawkesbury Access Nova Scotia Office and the Baddeck RMV Office are closed Tuesday. Water conservation order A mandatory water conservation order has been issued for users of the Judique water system. The Municipality of Inverness County says heavy rainfall has significantly increased turbidity (mud) in the water source (Judique dam). “The volume of turbid water is currently too high for the Public Works team to properly treat before it enters the water storage tank,” it said in a post on its website. “As a result, the treatment plant has been temporarily shut down to allow the turbidity to settle at the Judique dam and water treatment conditions to return to normal.” Garbage collection The Town of Port Hawkesbury says blue bag collection will take place Tuesday as scheduled for residents in Zone 2. Solid waste and recycling collection is cancelled in Inverness County for Tuesday. “This closure will allow time for further assessment of road conditions and completion of necessary repairs. This cancelation will result in a double collection next Tuesday, Sept. 15,” reads a post on social media. Support line A municipal support phone line opened on Monday to give western Cape Breton residents a “central point of contact” to report non-emergency issues and concerns. The support line is available from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. by calling 902-625-7888. Officials say fire and ambulance services are still available to respond to 911 calls. With files from The Canadian Press For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page
