CLIMATE CHANGE AFTER COP26
At least 1 dead from mudslides in Canada after heavy rains
People, including a toddler and dog who were stranded by high water due to flooding are rescued by a volunteer operating a boat in Abbotsford, British Columbia, on Tuesday, Nov. 16, 2021.
(Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)
VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — The body of a woman was recovered from one of the mudslides caused by extremely heavy rainfall in the Pacific coast Canadian province of British Columbia, authorities said Tuesday.
Police said search and rescue personnel were continuing to look for other possible victims from Monday’s slides.
“Our team did recover one person,” said David MacKenzie, the Pemberton District Search and Rescue manager.
He said his team came across seven vehicles at the slide site on Highway 99 near the town of Lillooet and police were trying to determine if there were any other bodies.
“It is a significant amount of debris. It makes it very difficult for our search crews. The mud is up to their waist. I can’t recall our team being involved in anything like this in the past,” he said.
Royal Canadian Mounted Police Staff Sgt. Janelle Shoihet said the total number of people and vehicles unaccounted for had not yet been confirmed. She said investigators had received reports of two other people who were missing but added that other motorists might have been buried in the slide.
Vancouver Heavy Urban Search and Rescue Team spokesman Jonathan Gormick said while the roadway has been cleared of potentially trapped vehicles or people, they’ll now be searching the slide’s debris field.
Elsewhere in the province, Abbotsford Mayor Henry Braun said impassable highways were creating havoc in his city as police and firefighters tried to get people to evacuation centers.
“It breaks my heart to see what’s going on in our city,” Braun said.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — The body of a woman was recovered from one of the mudslides caused by extremely heavy rainfall in the Pacific coast Canadian province of British Columbia, authorities said Tuesday.
Police said search and rescue personnel were continuing to look for other possible victims from Monday’s slides.
“Our team did recover one person,” said David MacKenzie, the Pemberton District Search and Rescue manager.
He said his team came across seven vehicles at the slide site on Highway 99 near the town of Lillooet and police were trying to determine if there were any other bodies.
“It is a significant amount of debris. It makes it very difficult for our search crews. The mud is up to their waist. I can’t recall our team being involved in anything like this in the past,” he said.
Royal Canadian Mounted Police Staff Sgt. Janelle Shoihet said the total number of people and vehicles unaccounted for had not yet been confirmed. She said investigators had received reports of two other people who were missing but added that other motorists might have been buried in the slide.
Vancouver Heavy Urban Search and Rescue Team spokesman Jonathan Gormick said while the roadway has been cleared of potentially trapped vehicles or people, they’ll now be searching the slide’s debris field.
Elsewhere in the province, Abbotsford Mayor Henry Braun said impassable highways were creating havoc in his city as police and firefighters tried to get people to evacuation centers.
“It breaks my heart to see what’s going on in our city,” Braun said.
Sunny skies followed two days of torrential storms that dumped the typical amount of rain that the city gets in all of November, but the mayor said the water was still rising and Highway 1 would be cut shut down for some time.
Braun said he was worried about getting enough information from officials in Washington state about water levels that have risen dramatically from the overflowing Nooksack River and over the Sumas dike.
“When are we going to crest? When is it going to level off here? It’s like a full cup of coffee. Once it’s full, it keeps flowing over the sides,′ he said.
Abbotsford Police Chief Mike Serr said officers removed some people from the roofs of cars awash in flood waters Monday night but left some motorists in semi-trucks because they were higher above the water.
“I was out there last night. You could not see where the side of the road was. We had one member put on a life-jacket and swim out towards a car that was overturned to bring someone back. And that was on a regular basis for about two hours,” Serr said.
About 1,100 homes had been evacuated in Abbotsford, adding to others in various parts of British Columbia, including in Merritt, where the entire town of 7,000 people was forced to leave after the sanitation system failed.
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Associated Press writer Jim Morris reported this story in Vancouver and AP writer Rob Gillies contributed from Toronto.
Devastation continues to mount in rain- and flood-stricken southwestern B.C.
Civil engineering expert says repairing some of the more seriously damaged infrastructure will take time
CBC News · Posted: Nov 16, 2021
Spencer Coyne, the mayor of Princeton, B.C., told CBC's Heather Hiscox on Tuesday that rivers are starting to go down.
The Similkameen River didn't get as high as town officials feared it might, Coyne said, which was a positive development for the small community where 295 homes have been evacuated and another 300 are on alert.
The mayor said most evacuees are with friends and family, and he believes there are about 30 people at a local reception centre. But he noted the community is without natural gas and temperatures are expected to fall Tuesday, with flurries in the forecast.
Still reeling from fire season, Merritt, B.C., evacuees now taking stock of 'devastating' floods
Town of Princeton swamped after floodwaters breach dike
"We're going to try to move our evacuees to Kelowna today to try to keep them warm because our … reception centre won't have heat."
Waking up on the road
Some travellers were forced to spend a second night in their vehicles on Monday due to road closures.
Andrew Clark, a musician from Ladysmith, had been in Kelowna for the weekend to play concerts, but on the way home Sunday he got stuck near Hope with two colleagues.
He said they're part of a group that was forced to sleep in their vehicles and crowd into local restaurants and gas stations for food and services.
"Everyone's been very good humoured," he said. "Everyone knows that we are in the same boat, so that's all quite good, but I think there's a sort of general air of disappointment that we can't find out more information about what's happening down the road.
"People are a little bit worried about how many nights we might be staying here."
Rescuers lift hundreds of motorists trapped on B.C. highway to safety
VIDEOCoquihalla Highway and sections of Hwy 1 closed due to major flood damage
An airlift operation Monday rescued hundreds of people trapped by mudslides on Highway 7 near Agassiz.
The Department of National Defence told CBC News that a total of 311 people, 26 dogs and one cat were airlifted from the highway.
Jeff Kuhn, the lead pastor at Grace Baptist Church in Hope, B.C., said about 250 people were staying at the church and that there are also people staying at a local high school or in their cars.
"The community has pulled together," he said, noting that grocery stores and people in town have been sending food and water.
Stranded travellers find sanctuary in Hope, B.C., church
Kuhn said there's some hope that Highway 1 west will open later in the day, allowing some people trapped in Hope to start making their way home.
There is no clear timeline for when the province's highway network will be functional again, or when evacuation orders will be lifted for those forced to leave their homes.
Weaker weather system possible Thursday
Tuesday will see the end of the weather system bringing heavy rain to the province, according to Environment Canada meteorologist Kenneth Chan.
"On Thursday, perhaps, we'll have another weather system coming," he said.
"But this one should be much weaker and also just mostly to the Pacific Northwest, Washington state. So we won't be affected by that as much."
Civil engineering expert says repairing some of the more seriously damaged infrastructure will take time
CBC News · Posted: Nov 16, 2021
Two people canoe past a submerged truck near a flooded Trans Canada highway in Abbotsford, B.C., on Tuesday. Officials in the province were still assessing damage from floods and mudslides after torrential rains that began on the weekend finally started to subside. (Ben Nelms/CBC)
One person is confirmed dead and the toll of damage and destruction continues to escalate as the torrential rain that fell across southwestern British Columbia over the weekend and into Monday subsided on Tuesday.
It was an "atmospheric river" event that brought heavy downpours and triggered flooding and landslides, leading to the evacuation of the entire city of Merritt, as well as further evacuations in the Fraser Valley, the Interior and Vancouver Island.
A woman's body was recovered at the site of a mudslide that swept across Highway 99 near Lillooet on Monday. Police say there could be more fatalities as search and rescue efforts continue.
Evacuations orders were issued in Abbotsford and Chilliwack Tuesday morning, with residents told to leave the Sumas Prairie and Yarrow neighbourhoods immediately as flood waters continued to rise, and schools in the Fraser Valley municipalities of Abbotsford, Chilliwack, Hope and Mission were closed Tuesday.
A significant portion of the province is currently under either flood watch or flood warning.
One person is confirmed dead and the toll of damage and destruction continues to escalate as the torrential rain that fell across southwestern British Columbia over the weekend and into Monday subsided on Tuesday.
It was an "atmospheric river" event that brought heavy downpours and triggered flooding and landslides, leading to the evacuation of the entire city of Merritt, as well as further evacuations in the Fraser Valley, the Interior and Vancouver Island.
A woman's body was recovered at the site of a mudslide that swept across Highway 99 near Lillooet on Monday. Police say there could be more fatalities as search and rescue efforts continue.
Evacuations orders were issued in Abbotsford and Chilliwack Tuesday morning, with residents told to leave the Sumas Prairie and Yarrow neighbourhoods immediately as flood waters continued to rise, and schools in the Fraser Valley municipalities of Abbotsford, Chilliwack, Hope and Mission were closed Tuesday.
A significant portion of the province is currently under either flood watch or flood warning.
As of Tuesday morning, much of southern British Columbia is under either flood watches or flood warnings. The B.C. River Forecast Centre classifies a flood watch as being when river levels are rising and will approach, or may exceed, their banks and flood adjacent areas. A flood warning is when river levels have exceeded their banks, or will imminently. (CBC News)
Flood watch means river levels are rising and may exceed their banks and flood adjacent areas. A flood warning means that's already happened.
Highways across the south of the province were also closed due to mudslides and debris flows, with parts of the Coquihalla and Trans Canada highways washing away in surging rivers. Hundreds of motorists were trapped on the roads, and many were rescued by helicopter Monday.
Woman confirmed dead in mudslide that swept across B.C. highway during extreme rain storm
A civil engineering expert said repairs to some of the most seriously damaged infrastructure will take time and upcoming challenges this week will be on flood protection works and dikes.
"That will be a major emphasis to make sure damage that has occurred isn't compounded," said Jonathan Fannin of UBC's Department of Civil Engineering.
"Then getting the roads and especially the bridges back up and going, probably with temporary structures to begin with and then more permanent works over time."
Flood watch means river levels are rising and may exceed their banks and flood adjacent areas. A flood warning means that's already happened.
Highways across the south of the province were also closed due to mudslides and debris flows, with parts of the Coquihalla and Trans Canada highways washing away in surging rivers. Hundreds of motorists were trapped on the roads, and many were rescued by helicopter Monday.
Woman confirmed dead in mudslide that swept across B.C. highway during extreme rain storm
A civil engineering expert said repairs to some of the most seriously damaged infrastructure will take time and upcoming challenges this week will be on flood protection works and dikes.
"That will be a major emphasis to make sure damage that has occurred isn't compounded," said Jonathan Fannin of UBC's Department of Civil Engineering.
"Then getting the roads and especially the bridges back up and going, probably with temporary structures to begin with and then more permanent works over time."
Incessant rain led to widespread flooding across southern B.C. on Sunday and Monday, with the cities of Abbotsford and Merritt particularly hard hit. Here, a helicopter arrives Monday afternoon to rescue people who were trapped between two mudslides along Highway 7 near Agassiz, B.C. More than 250 people were stranded in the area for more than 12 hours after the slides late Sunday.
Submitted by Mike Stronach
Spencer Coyne, the mayor of Princeton, B.C., told CBC's Heather Hiscox on Tuesday that rivers are starting to go down.
The Similkameen River didn't get as high as town officials feared it might, Coyne said, which was a positive development for the small community where 295 homes have been evacuated and another 300 are on alert.
The mayor said most evacuees are with friends and family, and he believes there are about 30 people at a local reception centre. But he noted the community is without natural gas and temperatures are expected to fall Tuesday, with flurries in the forecast.
Still reeling from fire season, Merritt, B.C., evacuees now taking stock of 'devastating' floods
Town of Princeton swamped after floodwaters breach dike
"We're going to try to move our evacuees to Kelowna today to try to keep them warm because our … reception centre won't have heat."
WATCH | Mayor Spencer Coyne describes the situation in Princeton:
Mayor Spencer Coyne of Princeton, B.C., tells the CBC's Heather Hiscox that his heavily flooded town could face several days without heat because of a broken natural gas line. 7:05
Waking up on the road
Some travellers were forced to spend a second night in their vehicles on Monday due to road closures.
Andrew Clark, a musician from Ladysmith, had been in Kelowna for the weekend to play concerts, but on the way home Sunday he got stuck near Hope with two colleagues.
He said they're part of a group that was forced to sleep in their vehicles and crowd into local restaurants and gas stations for food and services.
"Everyone's been very good humoured," he said. "Everyone knows that we are in the same boat, so that's all quite good, but I think there's a sort of general air of disappointment that we can't find out more information about what's happening down the road.
"People are a little bit worried about how many nights we might be staying here."
Rescuers lift hundreds of motorists trapped on B.C. highway to safety
VIDEOCoquihalla Highway and sections of Hwy 1 closed due to major flood damage
An airlift operation Monday rescued hundreds of people trapped by mudslides on Highway 7 near Agassiz.
The Department of National Defence told CBC News that a total of 311 people, 26 dogs and one cat were airlifted from the highway.
Jeff Kuhn, the lead pastor at Grace Baptist Church in Hope, B.C., said about 250 people were staying at the church and that there are also people staying at a local high school or in their cars.
"The community has pulled together," he said, noting that grocery stores and people in town have been sending food and water.
WATCH | Pastor Jeff Kuhn walks CBC News around Grace Baptist Church:
The Grace Baptist Church in Hope, B.C., is offering a warm welcome to dozens of stranded travellers with every comfort it can provide, right down to the padded pews at bedtime, says lead pastor, Jeff Kuhn. 7:11
Kuhn said there's some hope that Highway 1 west will open later in the day, allowing some people trapped in Hope to start making their way home.
There is no clear timeline for when the province's highway network will be functional again, or when evacuation orders will be lifted for those forced to leave their homes.
Weaker weather system possible Thursday
Tuesday will see the end of the weather system bringing heavy rain to the province, according to Environment Canada meteorologist Kenneth Chan.
"On Thursday, perhaps, we'll have another weather system coming," he said.
"But this one should be much weaker and also just mostly to the Pacific Northwest, Washington state. So we won't be affected by that as much."
A car drives on a flooded road in Abbotsford, B.C., on Monday. Schools in the district will be closed Tuesday as parts of the city remain under evacuation order. (Ben Nelms/CBC)
Snowfall warnings remained in place overnight for the Coquihalla Highway, with Environment Canada saying up to 20 centimetres of snow could fall between Hope and Merritt.
Wind speeds are still expected to be high throughout B.C. Gusts of up to 90 km/h were forecast in parts of the Fraser Valley on Monday.
On Monday afternoon, Public Safety Minister and acting Premier Mike Farnworth said conditions were in flux throughout the province.
"I would like to thank everyone who is affected for your patience, strength and for doing everything you can to stay safe," he said at a media conference.
In a statement, the federal Ministry of Public Safety said officials from the Government Operations Centre are in close contact with B.C. emergency management staff and that Ottawa is prepared to assist if necessary and if the province makes a request.
Anyone placed under evacuation order should leave the area immediately.
To find an evacuation centre close to you, visit the Emergency Management B.C. website.
Evacuees are encouraged to register with Emergency Support Services online, whether or not they access services at an evacuation centre.
Road conditions can be checked at DriveBC.
With files from Bridgette Watson, Corey Correia and Jennifer Walter
Snowfall warnings remained in place overnight for the Coquihalla Highway, with Environment Canada saying up to 20 centimetres of snow could fall between Hope and Merritt.
Wind speeds are still expected to be high throughout B.C. Gusts of up to 90 km/h were forecast in parts of the Fraser Valley on Monday.
On Monday afternoon, Public Safety Minister and acting Premier Mike Farnworth said conditions were in flux throughout the province.
"I would like to thank everyone who is affected for your patience, strength and for doing everything you can to stay safe," he said at a media conference.
In a statement, the federal Ministry of Public Safety said officials from the Government Operations Centre are in close contact with B.C. emergency management staff and that Ottawa is prepared to assist if necessary and if the province makes a request.
Anyone placed under evacuation order should leave the area immediately.
To find an evacuation centre close to you, visit the Emergency Management B.C. website.
Evacuees are encouraged to register with Emergency Support Services online, whether or not they access services at an evacuation centre.
Road conditions can be checked at DriveBC.
With files from Bridgette Watson, Corey Correia and Jennifer Walter
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