Erin dumps heavy rain on western Maritimes, some localized flooding reported

Aug 30, 2019 | 6:35 AM

HALIFAX — Localized flooding was reported overnight in the western Maritimes as the remnants of post-tropical storm Erin dumped more than 160 millimetres of rain in some areas.

The centre of the low-pressure system passed over Nova Scotia’s southwestern shore near Shelburne late Thursday, moving northeast toward St. Margarets Bay and the Halifax region before arriving at the Gulf of St. Lawrence this morning.

The heaviest rainfall was reported in southwestern Nova Scotia, the eastern side of the Nova Scotia’s Annapolis Valley, parts of northern Nova Scotia, southern New Brunswick along the Bay of Fundy and western P.E.I.

More than 160 mm of rain fell on Parrsboro, N.S., which is in northern Nova Scotia, next to the Bay of Fundy’s Minas Basin.

Meanwhile more than 150 mm of rain was reported in Port Maitland in southwestern Nova Scotia and Scots Bay, near the entrance to the Minas Basin.

Bob Robichaud, warning preparedness meteorologist with Environment Canada, said some communities in southwestern Nova Scotia received up to 30 millimetres of rain per hour, which he described as an extreme rainfall rate.

“That resulted in some flooding,” he said, adding he was unaware of any serious damage or major power outages.

“I’m surprised that I haven’t heard anything in terms of impacts. It may be that they’re still assessing stuff.”

The Halifax Stanfield International Airport reported 53 mm or rain and a peak gust at 69 kilometres per hour.

The Canadian Press