Category: BC flood

BC Moves to Recovery Management Phase After Floods; Most Military Leaving Province

VICTORIA—Gas rationing will continue in British Columbia as the Trans Mountain pipeline starts its transition to full service after floods and slides. Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth says the lifting of the provincial 30-litre purchase order will occur as soon as the pipeline system is able resume full service, but until then, fuel limits will…


More Than Two Dozen Weather Warnings in Effect Across Rain Sodden British Columbia

More than two dozen weather warnings remain in effect across southern and coastal British Columbia as another storm hits the province where people are still cleaning up from previous flooding and mudslides. Environment Canada says the central coast and the west coast of Vancouver Island could see up to 150 millimetres of rain, with up…


Evacuation Alerts, Highway Closures as More Rain Hammers Southern BC

VICTORIA—Southern British Columbians braced for another severe storm Saturday, with a new set of evacuation alerts issued and officials in an already devastated agricultural community warning of another possible river overflow. Abbotsford Mayor Henry Braun told a news conference Saturday that the city has done everything it can with provincial and federal support to prepare,…


BC Reopens Major Section of Flood Damaged Trans Canada Highway in Fraser Valley

VICTORIA—A major section of the Trans-Canada Highway in British Columbia that was under floodwater since last week reopened Thursday, easing traffic congestion and helping connect the Lower Mainland to the province’s Interior. Transportation Minister Rob Fleming said the section of Highway 1 between Abbotsford and Chilliwack was cleared to reopen, which provides a vital artery…


‘They Gave Everything They Had’: How BC Residents Helped Each Other Amid the Flood Crisis

When Greater Vancouver and the Fraser Valley were hit with mudslides and flooding more than a week ago, many people were displaced, trapped, and desperate. As tragedy and fear struck with devastating impact, First Nations communities acted, from the Squiala Nation in Chilliwack through the Fraser Valley to the Skuppah Nation and beyond, moving quickly…


Ottawa Clarifies COVID 19 Travel Exemption on BC US Border During Floods

OTTAWA—The federal minister of emergency preparedness says border guards have been advised that British Columbia residents can cross into the United States for essential supplies because of flooding in the province after some were reportedly facing fines or told they would have to quarantine on returning to Canada. Bill Blair said the circumstances of those…


Storm Damage in BC Prompts Gasoline and Travel Restrictions

VICTORIA—British Columbia’s public safety minister says he’s relying on the good judgment of residents to ensure the province doesn’t run out of gasoline. Mike Farnworth says B.C. residents, who are not essential workers, will be limited to buying 30 litres of fuel per gas station visit as the government looks to truck or barge gas…


‘Pretty Chaotic’: Tiny BC Community Reconnected After Flooding Wiped out Bridge

NOOAITCH FIRST NATION, BRITISH COLUMBIA—The same rainfall that forced the evacuation of 7,000 residents in Merritt, B.C., also stranded a small First Nation village just 20 kilometres away, but an all-out effort quickly reconnected the community. What was once the smallSpius Creek turned into a raging torrent earlier this week as record-setting rain washed away…


Water Main Break Preventing Abbotsford Farmers From Accessing Water for Animals

ABBOTSFORD, B.C.—The mayor of a city heavily impacted by flooding in southern British Columbia says farmers who stayed with their animals desperately need water for livestock. Henry Braun said Thursday that water levels in Abbotsford continue to fluctuate in the Sumas Prairie area two days after an evacuation order was issued. He said a broken…


First Members of Military Contingent Arrive in BC to Assist With Flood Recovery

VANCOUVER—A handful of Armed Forces members have arrived in British Columbia, the first of what Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said could be several hundred troops as the federal government moves to help the province recover from devastating floods. The Canadian Joint Operations Command says nine members of the Edmonton-based 3 Canadian Division Immediate Response…