CAPE BRETON – September 6, 2026 – Three Cape Breton counties remain under a state of emergency after a storm dumped more than 200 millimetres of rain on parts of the island, washing out roads, knocking out power and isolating communities.
Inverness, Richmond and Victoria counties declared the emergency Saturday because of severe flooding and widespread damage. Some areas recorded as much as 250 millimetres of rain. Officials said flooding hit neighbourhoods that had never flooded before.
Municipal leaders are urging residents to stay home. Inverness County Warden Bonny MacIsaac said many roads are washed out and trees are down, and warned drivers not to enter floodwaters because the pavement underneath may have failed.
Nova Scotia Power reported tens of thousands of outages at the peak of the storm. By Sunday morning, more than 5,000 customers were still without electricity, including most of Chéticamp. A municipal support line opened Sunday for residents of the three counties and Port Hawkesbury to report non-emergency problems.
Environment Canada said another 10 to 20 millimetres of rain is possible through Monday morning. Crews cannot fully reopen some highway sections until floodwaters recede.
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