Atin Ito First Filipino Community Newspaper in Ontario
Communities along Nova Scotia’s South Shore are assessing damage after high tide during post-tropical storm Lee caused flooding and washouts.
Mahone Bay resident Craig Stewart said storm surge peaked during high tide just before 10 a.m. Saturday.
Stewart said the water crested at about 1.5 metres above normal high-tide levels, causing some flooding on properties along Main Street.
According to Stewart, wind is the cause of much of the damage so far.
Mahone Bay experienced some damage from the storm surge associated with post-tropical storm Lee during high tide Saturday morning. (Craig Stewart)
“We’ve seen one house had a tree fall on it right on Pleasant Street near downtown,” he said.
“Fire crews have been active responding to downed power lines and there’s been minor damage to properties. I lost a railing at about 8 a.m.”
Boats broke away from moorings
Stewart said several boats have broken their moorings, including a catamaran that was wedged against the rocks at the shoreline.
Craig Stewart said properties along Main Street in Mahone Bay experienced some flooding as a result of the storm surge. (Craig Stewart)
He said most of the damage he has seen has been minor.
Roads leading in and out of Mahone Bay are still fine, he said.
Stewart said the southeast winds are the “worst possible direction” as Mahone Bay is normally well protected and sheltered by the islands in the bay.
He said Lee has been pushing in water more than has been seen in years.
Speaking to CBC News as he prepared to go out and inspect damage, Mahone Bay Mayor David Devenne said the town has been without power since 7:30 a.m.
Most of the storm damage in Mahone Bay appeared to be minor, according to Stewart. (Craig Stewart)
Devenne said the town has its own power utility and its own crews but they were waiting until the winds died down before going out.
He said this will be the first real test of the town’s project that uses a tidal wetland with native plant species to reduce storm surge.
“We’re waiting now … what kind of damage, if any, this system hopefully prevents,” he said.
From his vantage point, Stewart said, the so-called living shoreline was intact and while winds were battering nearby rocks the water near the shoreline project was relatively calm.
Washouts have been reported at Rissers Beach in Petite Rivière, south of Lunenburg. (Submitted by Julie Whalen )
Queens County seawall damaged
Elsewhere on the South Shore near Liverpool, storm surge and wave action damaged about 20 metres of the seawall on Shore Road that led to the road being obstructed, according to Dan Leopold, district director for Western Nova Scotia with the Department of Public Works.
Leopold said staff will be unable to inspect the area until the storm subsides.
“We added some additional armour stone over the last number of years,” he said. “That stone appears to be in place, so the damage may not be as bad as initially thought.”
He said wave action pushed some of the rocks into the road.
At Western Head causeway, Leopold said there was flooding during high tide that has since receded.
Leopold said he could not give an estimate on how long the roads will be closed until the storm has subsided. But he does not anticipate any major repairs.
*****
Credit belongs to : ca.news.yahoo.com
