Heavy rains wreak havoc in eastern Canadian province of Nova Scotia

Heavy, relentless rain swept through the southeastern tip of Canada — flooding roadways, knocking off power and forcing residents to evacuate their homes as officials feared a dam might be breached.

The downpour began in Nova Scotia on Friday. As of Saturday morning, parts of the province had already accumulated nearly six inches of rain. In some areas, rain fell over an inch per hour.

“The ground, already near saturation, has little ability to absorb further rainfall,” Environment Canada wrote in a statement.

Central and eastern Nova Scotia is forecast to receive between 1-4 inches of more rain on Saturday. The storm is expected to last until late afternoon in central Nova Scotia and late evening in the eastern regions.

As of Saturday morning, over 18,000 households were without power according to Nova Scotia Power.

The Nova Scotia government issued an evacuation order for people living near the Saint Croix River system due to concerns that a nearby dam may soon overflow. Residents living along Mersey River have been asked to prepare for a possible evacuation.

In Halifax, the capital of Nova Scotia, multiple roads were closed off and people were urged to avoid driving as a result of flash flooding.

“Numerous roads are washed out & remain closed due to flooding. There are abandoned cars on roads & highways causing dangerous conditions,” the Halifax Regional Municipality wrote on Twitter.

Search and rescue teams were deployed by boat in Halifax on Friday night and Saturday morning to find people who were possibly trapped in the flood.

The dangerous downpour comes less than two months after Nova Scotia was engulfed by Canada’s unprecedented wildfire season. Officials estimated that 200 homes or structures had been destroyed. More than 16,000 people temporarily fled their homes.

As of Saturday, wildfires continue to burn across western Canada.