Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has authorized a request for military aid for southwestern Newfoundland, which has been cut off from the rest of the province due to road washouts caused by a severe downpour.
Trudeau said on Twitter on Friday that personnel of the Canadian Armed Forces will be deployed to the region to provide logistical and transportation help.
Bill Blair, the Minister of Emergency Preparedness, responded with a tweet of his own, stating that the military will give air support to assist with evacuations and supply chain upkeep.
Meanwhile, construction crews have begun repairing the Trans-Canada Highway in southwestern Newfoundland, but the largest town in the area — Port aux Basques — is already experiencing shortages of food and fuel.
The coastal community, which is home to 4,000 people, faced rapidly rising floodwaters Tuesday and Wednesday as a large, low-pressure system dumped more than 160 millimetres of rain over the area, flooding basements and undermining local roads.
The nearby Codroy Valley was inundated with more than 200 mm of rain.
On Friday morning, the province shared a video on social media showing an excavator hoisting a large culvert into a hole where a portion of the Trans-Canada Highway used to be, near Overland Brook.
Motorists in the region are being urged to avoid the roadside construction sites.
The province has also established a helpline for residents.
Source_ The Canadian Press
