Nova Scotians seek answers on what flooding damage is covered by their insurance

It was only when the frequent bursts of lightning started that Jessica Hill got a glimpse of the devastation that torrential rains were inflicting on the property she and her husband own, throwing their plans to soon open a business into disarray.

Hill and her husband, Allan, moved to the province from Ontario a year ago. They bought land next to the Herbert River in Scotch Village, Hants County, which they planned to use as a small-scale farm, yoga retreat and private campground.

The lightning started at around 12 a.m. AT on Saturday, Jessica Hill recalled.

"Every time the lightning flashes, we just see river and we just see water, no longer do we see our property," she told CBC Radio's Maritime Connection on Sunday.

Within hours, it was clear the gardens were submerged in water, as well as the deck that would soon house a yoga studio. Picnic tables, a kayak, a paddleboard and their yoga dome had been washed away.

"Everything just floated down the Herbert River," said Jessica Hill.

The couple contacted their insurance company Saturday, but it's unclear what will be covered. They've also started a crowdfunding campaign to help them rebuild.

The Hills aren't the only Nova Scotians wondering if their property insurance will cover the destruction wrought by the weekend's devastating floods.

Lori MacLeod-Doyle of Lower Sackville, N.S., had about 70 centimetres of flooding in her basement, destroying boxes that contained paperwork and photo albums of her late husband and her father.

"I hate to joke about it at this stage of the game, but what else can you do? I've been saying for weeks and weeks now that I really need to purge the basement," she told CBC News Network on Monday.

MacLeod-Doyle said she called her insurance company Friday evening, and then the restoration company that she was told was handling her file. But they had no record of it.

"At that point, I kind of lost it and, you know, broke down a little bit," she said.

Her insurance broker was able to sort that out, but she's frustrated by conflicting messaging she's getting, MacLeod-Doyle said.

"Here we are three days later, almost, and still no answers as to what I should be doing, what I shouldn't be doing," said MacLeod-Doyle. "I've been told to get rid of as much stuff out of the basement as possible by some people, and then other people have said don't touch anything. I really don't know what to do."