Sally, British Columbia — Heavy rains have stopped throughout Lower Mainland, British Columbia, but storm rainfall can have lasting impact on many of the states.
Landslides continue to block major highways, causing significant damage to some of the major arteries connecting this area to others, and it is clear when access to roads will be restored in many areas. There is no estimate.Many communities remain isolated, and travelers and commercial truck drivers are stuck in BC.
RCMP recovered the body of a woman from a landslide near Liluette, about 160 km northeast of Vancouver, on November 16, but the search for the missing person continues.
“This is not only a major catastrophe for the region in terms of the evacuation of thousands of people and the impact on people, property and animals, but also on the fact that it is one of the country’s major bread baskets. “There is,” says David Wraith, vice president of the Frontier Public Policy Center, a resident of Abbotsford, a city near the US border, about 70km southeast of Vancouver.
“We have a significant infrastructure disruption, which also means that the activities of Canada’s largest port, Vancouver, are very restricted, especially considering current supply chain challenges. And that is a disaster for the whole country. “
As of 17 November, major roads to and from the port remained blocked. The port, which processes $ 1 for every $ 3 of Canadian off-continent commodity transactions, is important to Canada’s supply chain, which is already under stress as part of a pandemic disruption of the global supply link.
Quarantine and evacuation
On November 16, Abbotsford Mayor Henry Brown evacuated all residents of Sumas Prairie, south of the city, as major pumping stations in the area were on the verge of failing due to rising water levels. I issued an order.
The lowlands have major agriculture and agricultural activities.
“We know it’s difficult for farmers to leave livestock, but people’s lives are more important than livestock and chickens. The rest is in the morning,” Brown said at a press conference.
Residents further north inside the center merit, Floods from the Coldwater River and the collapse of the city’s sewage treatment facilities have evacuated a population of 7,000 on November 15. Locals were forced to travel to Kamloops, Kelowna and Salmon Arm for safety, and authorities said the evacuation could last at least a week or more.
Hope in the Fraser Valley, about 122 km east of Vancouver, was isolated from other parts of the state due to road damage and was airlifted by rescue teams at the beginning of the week for safety. community.
On November 14, Lonemar Childdon was on his way back from Osoyoos to Cloverdale, about 45km southeast of Vancouver, when a landslide hit Highway 7 between Hope and Agassiz.
Since then he has been stuck in Hope.
“Tonight will be the fourth night of my truck sleep,” Mercyledon said in an interview on November 17, saying he didn’t want to go to the shelter set up for stranded travelers. rice field. ..
“Initially I was hoping they would fix it. They would get over us. But now there is no one on the street anymore. People are exhausted so wait now I’m just doing it. “
Marchilddon says they saw a landslide when they hit the freeway.
“I saw a disaster. I saw people screaming and running around for their children in the dark. It was terrible.”
Elsewhere in the state, stores with empty shelves are common, as hoarding and disruption of supply chain routes deplete the supply of fresh food. The oil and gas pipeline segments were also temporarily blocked due to floods and debris flows.
The state declared a state of emergency on 17 November, stating that Prime Minister John Horgan would give the state more options for responding to natural disasters.
Bill Blair, Federal Minister of Emergency Preparation, Said On November 17, the Canadian Armed Forces will deploy air support personnel to support evacuation operations, support supply chain routes, and protect residents from floods and landslides.
“Uncertainty creates a lot of stress”
Ray Nickel, a board member of the BC Chicken Marketing Board, says his organization is closely tracking development.
“From what we understand, it’s clearly our primary concern because the families on our farm are safe,” Nickel said in an interview. “And, in response, obviously we are very worried about our animals and their safety and well-being. As you can imagine, especially when threatened this way. Certainty creates a lot of stress. “
BC Milk Marketing Committee statement On November 16th, he told producers that farms in Fraser Valley, Interiors, and many areas of northern British Columbia would not receive milk until further notice. The board has asked the producers to responsibly dispose of the milk in the fertilizer pit.
This gets worse Lack of milk Grocery stores other than Metro Vancouver are already in short supply of dairy products throughout the state due to stagnant shipments due to the closure of the highway.
Dave Earle, CEO of the BC Truckers Association, encouraged residents to stay calm and trust the industry to get food and supplies.
“The really important thing for everyone to notice is that the item arrives there. It may take a little longer or a little more, but the item will arrive there,” Earl said. He said in an interview with CFJC Today at Kamloops.
Rob Fleming, British Columbia’s Minister of Transport and Infrastructure, said his department is focused on road repairs and clearing supply chain routes.
“In British Columbia, we are fully aware of how important it is to reopen road connections from Lower Mainland to the endorheic in order to re-establish the supply chain,” Fleming said on November 16. Said.
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