The Canadian province of British Columbia was badly affected By the so-called “heat dome” In the early summer. Now it faces the impact of another meteorological phenomenon known as the “atmospheric river”: long bands of vapor at altitude cause abundant rainfall. Located on the Pacific coast, various parts of the province have surpassed the rainfall records imposed decades ago on Sundays and Mondays. According to the Canadian Ministry of Environment, some cities received the expected 24 or 48 hours of rain throughout November. Thousands of homes received vacancy orders. The sky has dropped, but flooding and landslides continue.
This Monday, 275 people were rescued – most in military helicopters – from a road near the Acacia community. They had to spend a night in their vehicles. Five highways in the Southern Province have been closed. This Tuesday, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police announced the first death of these events. It is about a woman who died in a mudslide near the town of Lilot. The search continues at this point as law enforcement officials believe there are more victims. Provincial officials have asked people to avoid unnecessary trips. Schools in Fraser Valley (including the cities of Apostford, Sillivac and Mission; a few miles from the U.S. border) remain locked.
More than 20,000 homes remained without electricity this Tuesday and mobile phone access in various parts of the province has been affected. Many ferry services that were suspended due to the weather are gradually resuming their operations. About 7,000 residents of the city of Merritt have been evacuated due to the threat posed by cold water river water. In Princeton, 295 people had to leave their homes, the same as four Indian reservations. The victims have taken refuge in a network of shelters. Flood surveillance on Vancouver Island was released Monday.
Mike Farnworth, the provincial public defense minister, thanked a press conference for his support at various levels of government. “We will continue to work together, take care of each other and keep ourselves safe,” he said. For its part, Justin Trudeau, The Prime Minister of Canada addressed the people of British Columbia on Twitter. “We are going to provide them with the support they need to deal with and recover from these extreme floods and conditions,” he wrote. Rain is not expected on Tuesday and Wednesday, but the Canadian Ministry of Environment has indicated that it may rain again on Thursday. Snow can also reach some parts of the province.
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