A woman in Deerfield, N.S., observes the flood waters around her house on Sunday. (Craig Paisley/CBC)Heavy rain pounded southern Nova Scotia on Sunday, forcing the evacuation of several homes, washing out a bridge and putting a dam at risk.

Some roads have been closed and the Saunders Road bridge was washed out, said Harold Richardson of the District of Yarmouth.

He said the rain was causing major problems at Nova Scotia Power's Carleton dam on Raynard's Lake.

"There's flooding, water's rising," Richardson said. "We get more and more reports of flooding and road damage. Carleton dam is further deteriorated and we expect a dam failure is imminent."

He could not say what a dam failure would do to the area but expected more evacuations would be necessary. The district declared a local state of emergency Saturday.

David Rodenhiser, who speaks for NS Power, said the problem was with a fabric lining on a temporary spillway built in advance of the storm to lower water levels.

"There's been so much rain entering the lake system that the force of the outflowing water along that spillway is pulling the lining out of place," he said.

"That means water has gotten underneath the lining, causing erosion and deepening the spillway channel, so the flow rate along that spillway is increasing and it's uncontrolled."

Red Cross helps families

The Red Cross said in a release it was assisting several families who had to leave their homes in Lequille, near Annapolis Royal.

Flood waters surround a cottage in Deerfield, N.S. (Craig Paisley/CBC)The families were moved because of a flood risk downstream. Residents of two houses under a voluntary evacuation were staying with family or friends in the area.

The Red Cross helped one woman from a third home on the Dugway Road in Lequille with emergency motel accommodation and meals.

Several homes have also been evacuated around Lake Vaughan in Yarmouth County.

RCMP and the provincial Department of Transportation also advised motorists of road closures caused by flooding in about 20 low-lying areas throughout the province.

Ten closures were in Yarmouth County, which had the highest number.

Most parts of the province received a heavy soaking, beginning Friday night. It was enough to prompt the Emergency Management Office to issue a weather warning and suggest citizens stay away from swollen riverbanks.

With files from The Canadian Press