Emergency crews were dealing Wednesday with what one mayor called "an impossible fight" against flooding in Newfoundland communities brought on by the remnants of a tropical storm.

A culvert near Dunville, Placentia Bay, was washed away early Wednesday, knocking out one of the access routes to the town.
(Adrian O'Keefe)

Traffic on the Trans-Canada Highway ground to a halt for several hours, as record-setting rainfalls overwhelmed a stretch of the highway near Whitbourne, about 90 kilometres west of St. John's.

About 150 millimetres of rain fell during the storm at Whitbourne, Environment Canada said early Wednesday afternoon, as the last remnants of tropical storm Chantal wound down.

Across the Avalon Peninsula, most communities got about as much rain during the day as they would ordinarily receive in a month.

The worst reports of flooding were in communities in Placentia Bay and in Conception Bay. States of emergency were declared in the communities of Dunville, Placentia and Bryant's Cove. States of emergency were declared for several hours in Bay Roberts and Cupids.

"It's just terrible," said Placentia Mayor Bill Hogan, who told CBC News that flooding has been so severe in the area that residents cannot travel on access roads.

A flood ripped apart streets in Dunville, Placentia Bay, and caused damage to many property owners.
(Gladys Hickey)

"Some homes are in jeopardy of being tore away…. It's just a disaster for some people," according to Hogan, who said soil is being washed away from hills in his area.

In the Placentia-Argentia area, about 85 millimetres of rain fell overnight in a six-hour period, with more expected on Wednesday.

Hogan said crews in his community are "fighting an impossible fight against the flood water…. People should stay off [the roads] until we get things organized, until we can get them open and clear."

Hogan described water flowing into the front door of one home and out through the back.

Boat used as water ambulance

Gerard Wilson, a Dunville resident, was seconded to use his boat as an impromptu ambulance and water taxi after some roads in the area were washed out. Volunteer firefighters called him when a trapped car passenger appeared to be sick.

'It's just a disaster for some people,' Placentia Mayor Bill Hogan said Wednesday.
(CBC)

"When they got him out, they feared he was having a heart attack, so the only way to get him there was to take the boat and take him down to Jerseyside … where the ambulance picked him up," said Wilson, who described the impact of the rainfall as devastating.

"There's rivers running where there was never a river running before," he told CBC News.  

Flooding was also reported in several Conception Bay communities. Don Coombs, the mayor of Harbour Grace, pleaded with residents to stay home until conditions improved.

Trucks, cars and other vehicles were pulled over on the Trans-Canada Highway near Whitbourne, with traffic clogged in both directions for several hours. Traffic was opened on one lane after 10 a.m. local time.

Heavy rains swelled this stream running through South River, Conception Bay.
(Samantha Fagan)

CBC reporter David Bartlett said flooding on the highway was at one point so severe that it looked like a lake. "There's going to be quite a backlog of traffic once it does reopen," Bartlett reported from the scene.

Poor driving conditions were reported on regional highways in southern and eastern Newfoundland, with cars reported stalled or pulled over.

Provincial government officials say it is too early to comment on the extent of the damage, although several town officials expected the tally to run into the millions of dollars.

Premier Danny Williams toured some communities that had been hit hardest. In the town of Shearstown, he moved from one house to the next in a small boat.

Heavy rains also caused traffic delays and hazards in many parts of the St. John's area, particularly in the morning. Conditions had cleared by midday.

Rainfall recorded at the St. John's airport topped 96 millimetres for the day, passing a one-day record rainfall set in 1975 of 80.5 millimetres.

Monthly averages of rainfall in the area are about 108 millimetres.

Paul Mackey, director of public works with the City of St. John's, said water pressure was so heavy that some manhole covers popped open.

A car drives through a flooded street in St. John's on Wednesday as Newfoundland deals with the remnants of a tropical storm.
(CBC)

Tropical storm Chantal had weakened by the time it struck southern Newfoundland, but cascading rain on Wednesday still caused problems.

Power outages were reported in sections of St. John's, including some downtown neighbourhoods. Newfoundland Power said the outages were unexplained.

The heavy rains prompted a delay of the Royal St. John's Regatta, a sporting event that draws tens of thousands of people to Quidi Vidi Lake in the east end of the city.