Providing assistance to Nova Scotia against extreme flooding

Ottawa – Extreme flooding in Nova Scotia has resulted in evacuations, damaged properties and critical infrastructure, and most tragically, loss of life. On Sunday, July 23^rd, Bill Blair, President of the King’s Privy Council for Canada and Minister of Emergency Preparedness, approved a Request for Federal Assistance from the Province of Nova Scotia to assist with their response to this emergency.

Two Canadian Armed Forces CH-149 Cormorant search and rescue helicopters from 14 Wing Greenwood assisted RCMP-led search and rescue operations. The Canadian Coast Guard (CCG) and Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) were also deployed and continue to assist in these efforts.

In addition to the search and rescue deployment, the federal government has made the following supports available:

• The Canadian Coast Guard has provided personnel and equipment, including helicopters, to the community of Hants. Small vessels are at the ready to provide support to remote coastal communities should access to those communities become restricted.
• Transport Canada is providing National Aerial Surveillance Program (NASP) aircraft to support assessing damage to roads, bridges, critical infrastructure, impacts to the watershed, and to have information available near real-time.
• Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) provides funding to First Nation communities for preparedness, mitigation, response and recovery through the Emergency Management Assistance Program to enhance First Nations’ capacity to address emergency events including flooding. ISC is working closely with First Nation communities, the Confederacy of Mainland Mi’kmaq and the Government of Nova Scotia to ensure First Nations are fully supported to respond to this emergency event.
• Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) is providing continued weather forecasting capabilities to the Nova Scotia Emergency Management Office (NS EMO). As well, ECCC is actively monitoring water level and flow conditions throughout Nova Scotia to support local emergency response and repairing damaged river monitoring equipment to maintain operations, as part of its ongoing cost-shared hydrometric program with the province.
• RCMP are supporting with local forces in addition to assisting in SAR operations.

Public Services and Procurement Canada, Employment and Social Development Canada, Public Health Agency of Canada, and Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada are standing by for assistance with the delivery of any additional resources needed.