Rainfall and tropical storm warnings issued

Heavy rain is forecast on Sunday as hurricane Bill is expected to track south of Nova Scotia and north of Sable Island. Rain is expected to begin over extreme southwest Nova Scotia overnight and spread eastward to Cape Breton by noon Sunday. Ninety to 140 millimetres of rain is estimated for the Atlantic coastal counties of Nova Scotia with 70 to 110 millimetres further north.

With these rainfall amounts in such a short time frame, localized flooding is anticipated. Rain should taper to showers Sunday afternoon over Western Nova Scotia and by evening over eastern mainland Nova Scotia. Wind warnings have been issued for the Atlantic coastal regions of Nova Scotia with northeast winds of 70 km/h gusting up to 100.

Hurricane Bill had reportedly weakened as it moved up the East Coast of the United States on Saturday, although the storm still had sustained winds of 140 kilometres an hour, making it a Category 1 hurricane according to the U.S Hurricane Centre. At midweek it had been a Category 4.

A tropical storm warning is in effect for the Atlantic coastal regions of Nova Scotia. The centre of hurricane Bill is forecast to pass close to Nova Scotia on Sunday. Gale force winds of 65 km/h are expected to extend more than 300 kilometres west of the path of the hurricane and these winds are now expected to reach the entire Atlantic coast of Nova Scotia by Sunday afternoon.

A hurricane watch is in effect for Guysborough County and Southern Cape Breton regions. Hurricane force winds of 120 km/h could be possible in portions of eastern mainland Nova Scotia and Cape Breton later on Sunday.

A tropical storm warning is in effect for all remaining areas. Sustained winds in these regions are not currently expected to reach 65 km/h, however if hurricane Bill tracks closer to the Atlantic coast of Nova Scotia, these watches will be upgraded to warnings.

With hurricane-force winds expected in parts of the province, NS Power is ready to help repair damage after the storm passes. Line crews, tree trimming crews and damage assessment teams are on standby for Sunday and NS Power has arranged for additional crews from contractors and neighbouring provinces to be available as needed.

NS Power is collaborating with the Emergency Management Office (EMO) to ensure a coordinated response. NS Power will have live and up-to-date outage information on its web site. People can also call the toll-free customer service line at 1-877-428-6004 to report an outage - or visit www.nspower.ca/m on their cell phone to view outage information.

You can visit NS Power's website at:

http://www.nspower.ca/en/stormupdate.aspx

In preparation for Hurricane Bill, the Emergency Management Office is encouraging Nova Scotians to stay safe and be ready for potential flooding, storm surges and hurricane-force winds.

Residents in flood-prone areas should take measures to protect themselves and their property. If they haven’t already, they should move furniture and belongings away from possible flood water, secure property that might be swept away or damaged by a flood, and pile sandbags along shorelines abutting property. They should also secure objects that could be torn loose or blown around.

Storm surges often accompany hurricanes and along with the highest tides expected this weekend, can create tremendous damage, severe flooding and force evacuations. Getting caught near the shoreline during a storm surge could be life-threatening, and dangerous riptides are expected off the shores of Nova Scotia.

The RCMP have been encouraging people to stay away from shorelines.

On Saturday, the province announced that all provincial beaches, day-use, and camping parks would be closed to the public at 5 p.m. because of severe weather conditions anticipated from Hurricane Bill. These provincial parks will remain closed until at least Monday, Aug. 24.

The cooperation of all Parks visitors in immediately packing up their equipment and leaving the Park as soon as possible was required. Any equipment left on-site would be at the owner’s risk.All locations will be re-evaluated for damage or safety concerns on a case-by-case basis on Monday. Public notice of reopening of parks will be provided on the provincial parks website and through news releases.

Reimbursement for the unused days on a Camping Permit is available.

For more information visit:

http://www.novascotiaparks.ca/

Other useful websites during the storm are: •Canadian Hurricane Centre:

www.ec.gc.ca/ouragans-hurricanes •Emergency Management Office:

www.gov.ns.ca/emo