Heavy rain, winds cause damage on Newfoundland's Avalon Peninsula, south coast

Newfoundland's Avalon Peninsula dealt with strong winds combined with rain on Wednesday, prompting concerns about flooding in some areas.

Environment Canada has wind and rainfall warnings in effect for the entire Avalon and Bonavista peninsulas for Wednesday.

Rainfall amounts near 25 millimetres are expected in those regions, with amounts up to 50 millimetres possible in some areas by Thursday morning. The northern Avalon, including the St. John's area, is predicted to get the highest amounts.

The heavy rains through the morning caused some flooding concerns, such as at the Waterford River in the west end of St. John's. Photos on social media showed water levels rising to the edge of the riverbank.

Kayaking on Waterford River an extreme sport

But that didn't stop Isaac McConnell and Seamus Boyd-Porter, two daredevil kayakers, from strapping life-jackets on and a GoPro and rocketing down the river. 

"It's the perfect day for a paddle. We had the day off for rain. The river's up, it's high enough to run, " said McConnell.

"We know where we're at. You don't want to do this if you don't know what you're doing."

The only trouble is crossing under some of the bridges, which has been made difficult by the high water levels.

"There's a couple bridges that you can't fit on," said Boyd-Porter. 

In those instances, the two men get out of the water, and re-enter on the other side.

"It's a little cold, a little polluted. I've done it at this level before and this is a good level for it," said Boyd-Porter.

Flooding risk

A section of St. Thomas Line in Paradise was mostly washed out from the rainwater Wednesday morning, and the road was closed in both directions around noon as crews worked to repair the road.

Just before 10 a.m, the City of St. John's closed Syme's Bridge at the Waterford River due to flooding risk.

The city has also closed off parts of the Rennie's River trail due to flooding risk.

"Crews have put barricades up in place to prevent anybody from unknowingly walking down the trail and putting themselves in danger," said Lynnann Windsor, the city's deputy manager of public works.

She said "all hands are on deck" in her department today, as crews attend to flooding and make sure culverts and catch basins are clear, check for washout spots, and do any necessary repairs.

"Everyone is out throughout the city, checking out all the spots that are known for localized flooding," she said.

Police were also advising drivers to watch for water buildup on the roads in the St. John's area.

Strong winds also whipped the Avalon, as well as the south coast of the island Wednesday morning. 

Northerly winds with gusts up to 100 km/h are expected to continue through Thursday morning, before tapering off later in the day.

Environment Canada is warning the gusts could cause damage to buildings or homes, and Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro was reporting morning power outages along the south coast in the Hermitage area. 

College of the North Atlantic's Prince Phillip Drive campus in St. John's closed for the afternoon due to the conditions. Topsail Elementary in Conception Bay South also closed after a fire alarm sent students outside, where they were drenched.