THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
The Canadian government sent its Air Force to the Pacific coast Canadian province of British Columbia (B.C.) to assist with evacuations and to support supply lines following floods and mudslides caused by heavy rainfall.
Canadian Minister of Emergency Preparedness Bill Blair said military personnel will also protect residents against further flooding or landslides.
“Torrential rains have led to terrible flooding that has disrupted the lives and taken lives of people across B.C. I want people to know that the federal government has been engaging with the local authorities,” Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in Washington. “We’re sending resources like the Canadian Armed Forces to support people, but also we’ll be there for the cleanup and the rebuilding after impacts of these extreme weather events.”
Royal Canadian Air Force Cormorant helicopters airlifted about 300 people to safety November 15, 2021, after mudslides trapped drivers in their vehicles on B.C. highways, according to the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. The Air Force also used CH-146 Griffon helicopters to deliver food and supplies while the Canadian Army added boots on the ground, according to the military’s social media.
Every major route between B.C.’s Lower Mainland and the interior has been cut by washouts, flooding or landslides following record-breaking rainfall November 13-15, 2021, across southern British Columbia.
The body of a woman was recovered from one of the mudslides, and parts of several major highways were destroyed.
The total number of people and vehicles unaccounted for had not yet been confirmed.
Elsewhere in the province, Abbotsford Mayor Henry Braun said residents of the low-lying Sumas Prairie area south of the city faced a significant risk to life. An evacuation order was issued for about 1,000 properties as flooding pushed up water levels in the area, which is home to many large dairy farms and other agricultural and livestock operations.
Braun said conditions were dire because a key pumping station was in danger of being overwhelmed. The station was the only thing keeping water from the nearby Fraser River from engulfing most of the Sumas Prairie flats, he said.
“Right now, things are holding steady,” Braun said of the situation at the Barrowtown Pump Station as crews the night sandbagging around the station. (Pictured: A Royal Canadian Air Force helicopter flies over the Barrowtown Pump Station after rainstorms lashed the western Canadian province of British Columbia.)
“I’m feeling much better today than last night,” he said, although he cautioned the danger had not passed. River levels, which had dropped 2 meters since the storm ended, must drop further before flood gates can be opened to allow more water to escape.
IMAGE CREDIT: THE ASSOCIATED PRESS