‘A raging river’
Repair work continues after storm results in washouts
The Department of Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal’s to-do list in Hants County is longer than usual these days.
A severe downpour Aug. 7 that caused a substantial amount of damage throughout the region has kept the department busy repairing washed out roads, culverts and bridges.
It’s prompted the province to prepare for worse storms in the future, says Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal media relations staffer Marla MacInnis.
“As we repair and replace culverts, the pipes are being upsized to account for greater storm intensities,” she said.
That’s welcome news for Paul Faulkenham. The week following the storm was stressful for the Ellershouse resident, whose driveway washed out as a result of the torrential downpour.
And it stayed that way seven days.
“I have a heart condition, I had a triple bypass some years ago, and I don’t have any problems today, but what if I did tomorrow? The ambulance wouldn’t come in here – it’s too heavy to cross,” said Faulkenham, as a small stream trickled over the end of his driveway Aug. 14.
The driveway and another culvert further up the street were fixed that day, but it highlights just how extensive the flash flood damage was.
Faulkenham said he first noticed something was wrong on Aug. 7, the day of the storm, when his girlfriend’s son and neighbour said he would definitely have issues getting out of the driveway as water spilled over the top.
“We could hear the rocks rumbling down and underneath the for culvert. It was amazing,” he said. “It’s no longer raining, but the creek still has to run. Now it’s running over our driveway. It was really a raging river, instead of a little stream.”
A portion of the driveway is owned by the Department of Transportation as it also functions as a service road for Highway 101 and a potential logging road.
Faulkenham’s home sits ther up the driveway.
Unique storm
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MacInnis said the department appreciate residents’ patience as they continue to address the damage.
“Provincial infrastructure in Hants County experienced considerable damage, ranging from small, isolated shoulder washouts to culverts being filled with debris and buried,” MacInnis said.
“Additionally, a bridge on Trunk 1 experienced erosion at the abutments and had to be closed temporarily until it could be inspected and repaired.”
MacInnis said the storm was unique because it was isolated to a small area with heavy intensity.
Personnel and equipment from neighbouring areas were dispatched to help with the cleanup and repair work.