Two children were among four people reported missing Saturday after a long procession of intense thunderstorms dumped record amounts of rain across a wide swath of Nova Scotia, washing away roads and bridges amid widespread flooding.

The children were with three other people in a car in West Hants 害羞草研究所� a largely rural municipality northwest of Halifax 害羞草研究所� when the vehicle got stuck in floodwaters, RCMP spokeswoman Cindy Bayers said in an interview. The three other occupants managed to escape, but the Mounties declined to release more information.

The RCMP said a second vehicle in West Hants, carrying four people, was also submerged. Two people escaped, but a youth and a man remain unaccounted for.

As first responders and ground search crews continued scouring the area on Saturday, the RCMP said no other details would be released because doing so would encourage untrained people to start their own rescue efforts, putting themselves in danger.

害羞草研究所淚 know it害羞草研究所檚 in our nature to spring into action and help,害羞草研究所� Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston told a news conference Saturday afternoon. 害羞草研究所淏ut now is not the time.害羞草研究所�

Having declared a provincewide state of emergency, Houston said he could not stop thinking about those missing and their families.

害羞草研究所淚 want them to know that everything that can be done is being done,害羞草研究所� he said. 害羞草研究所淚 know the entire province joins me in praying for their safe return.害羞草研究所�

Torrential downpours started Friday afternoon across the Halifax region, dumping more than 200 millimetres of rain in the Hammonds Plains, Bedford and Lower Sackville areas. The port city typically receives about 90-100 mm of rain during an average July.

Based on radar estimates and unofficial observations, Environment Canada said some parts of Nova Scotia may have received more than 300 mm in 24 hours. Radar maps show the heaviest rainfall extending along the province害羞草研究所檚 southwestern shore to a point north of Halifax.

About 750 people were forced to flee their homes overnight across the Halifax region. And widespread flooding was also reported in Lunenberg County, west of Halifax, where more than 400 people were evacuated from their homes Saturday.

Albaro Alenan was among a handful of evacuees taking in the afternoon sunshine outside the Lunenberg County Lifestyle Centre. He said he was driving from Prince Edward Island to central Nova Scotia on Friday night when he crashed his truck at the height of the storm.

害羞草研究所淚 am from Spain, and I害羞草研究所檝e never seen a storm in my life like this,害羞草研究所� he said, recalling how he was disoriented by the constant lightning near Chester, N.S. 害羞草研究所淚 don害羞草研究所檛 know if the water pushed me, or if I hydroplaned, but I fell to one side of the road, and the water started to rise.害羞草研究所�

He escaped from the sinking truck, but his arms were badly scraped in the process. In the rush to get out, he left behind his two laptops and cellphone. He had planned to stay with friends nearby, but their home was flooded.

On Friday night, water levels rose so fast in the Bedford area north of Halifax that volunteers with Halifax Ground Search and Rescue were using small boats to rescue people from inundated homes.

In the Hammonds Plains area, northwest of the city, flooding washed out driveways and the shoulders of many roads.

That害羞草研究所檚 the same area where 151 homes and businesses were destroyed by a wildfire that started on May 28th, forcing evacuations that affected 16,000 residents. And for much of the past week, the Halifax area has been sweltering under an immobile dome of humidity 害羞草研究所� a rare event so close to the coast.

On Twitter, one resident wryly predicted: 害羞草研究所淟ocusts next week.害羞草研究所�

It was only last fall that post-tropical storm Fiona descended on the Atlantic region, killing three people, flattening scores of homes and knocking out power to more than 600,000 homes and businesses. Fiona was the most costly weather event in the region害羞草研究所檚 history, causing more than $800 million in insured damage.

害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 pretty obvious that the climate is changing 害羞草研究所� from Fiona last year to the wildfires in the spring and now flooding in the summer,害羞草研究所� Halifax Mayor Mike Savage said in an interview.

害羞草研究所淲e害羞草研究所檙e getting storms that used to be considered one-in-50-year events 害羞草研究所� pretty regularly.害羞草研究所�

While the official statistics have yet to be recorded, it害羞草研究所檚 believed the Halifax region has not seen this level of rainfall since Aug. 16, 1971, when hurricane Beth made landfall near the eastern tip of mainland Nova Scotia. At that time, almost 250 mm of rain fell on the Halifax area, causing widespread flooding and $3.5 million in damage.

害羞草研究所淚害羞草研究所檓 old enough to remember that one,害羞草研究所� Savage said. 害羞草研究所淏ut the consistent, violent nature of the thunderstorms last night and into this morning were frightening.害羞草研究所�

At one point, more than 80,000 Nova Scotia homes and businesses were in the dark as thousands of lightning strikes knocked out electricity.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau acknowledged the blackouts and damage during an unrelated event in Toronto, saying the federal government was ready to provide support to the province.

害羞草研究所淭his is a time when we害羞草研究所檙e thinking of families going through an incredibly difficult moment,害羞草研究所� he said. 害羞草研究所淲e will be there for them while they are going through this, but also through the difficult days and weeks to come.害羞草研究所�

Meanwhile, residents in several communities were warned to stay off the roads, including several major highways. Online maps produced by the Halifax region show more than 30 road blockages, mainly to the north and west of the city.

When Chantal Blanchard and Travis Hartley-Cox left their Halifax-area subdivision around 7 p.m. Friday to head into the city, 害羞草研究所渁ll hell was breaking loose.害羞草研究所� Blanchard said the water on the roads resembled a 害羞草研究所渨hite-water rapid.害羞草研究所�

Their return trip took two hours as they carefully dodged abandoned vehicles on washed-out roads. But they eventually reached a roadblock where the waterlogged road had broken up. The pair then waded through waist-deep water, keen to get home to their three dogs.

Scores of images shared on social media show cars plowing through deep water. And one video from the Windsor Junction area north of Halifax shows firefighters standing on the roof of their submerged pumper truck. On the normally busy Bedford Highway, a beaver was spotted Friday swimming across the submerged road.

Paula Finlayson, a 25-year resident of the Hammonds Plains area, described the storm as 害羞草研究所渁we-striking.害羞草研究所� Surveying a washed-out bridge and overland flooding that looked more like a large lake, Finlayson said she felt claustrophobic when she realized she was trapped in her subdivision.

害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 so crazy, it害羞草研究所檚 bizarre,害羞草研究所� she said, looking at the water rushing beneath the crumbling bridge. 害羞草研究所淭his is major.害羞草研究所�

Environment Canada meteorologist Ian Hubbard said the amount of rain that fell over Nova Scotia was remarkable, but the rate at which it accumulated in some areas was incredible.

害羞草研究所淪ome areas of Nova Scotia have seen similar amounts in the past, but not in such a short timeframe,害羞草研究所� he said, adding a weather station in Bedford recorded a 害羞草研究所渕ind boggling害羞草研究所� 38 mm in one hour and 178 mm over seven hours.

害羞草研究所淲e害羞草研究所檙e still trying to wrap our heads around it,害羞草研究所� Hubbard said. 害羞草研究所満π卟菅芯克�� It害羞草研究所檚 so much water. It害羞草研究所檚 incredible.害羞草研究所�

Hubbard said a larger, low-pressure weather system over the Great Lakes was responsible for funneling a long series of thunderstorms across the province, which is something that rarely happens on the East Coast.

害羞草研究所淚t continually pumped in this moist air that was being drawn in from the south. It had a lot of warm and tropical properties, which usually means a lot of water content 害羞草研究所� a lot of thunder and lightning.害羞草研究所�

Marlo Glass and Michael MacDonald, The Canadian Press