THE NEWEST:
-
BC Secretary of State for Public Safety Mike Farnworth imposed an order Limiting gas purchases and travel on damaged highways on Friday.
-
More than 100 Canadian forces have landed in Abbotsford, BC, east of Vancouver. to help with emergency operations in the flood-ravaged Fraser Valley.
-
A planned levee will no longer be built, confirmed Abbotsford Mayor Henry Braun. Military personnel will now focus on repairing a levee before the next expected rainfall.
-
Agriculture Secretary Lana Popham said the province is receiving aid from other jurisdictions to help farmers and ranchers in the Fraser Valley.
-
Highway 7 from Vancouver to Hope, BC has opened for critical travel, with 1,000 stranded in Hope on Thursday on their way home.
-
A list of the current flood warnings can be found on the River forecast center.
As British Columbia begins to recover from the catastrophic floods and mudslides that destroyed critical infrastructure, highways and farmland this week, supply chain problems have led provincial officials to impose restrictions on gas purchases and non-essential travel.
Public Security Secretary Mike Farnworth announced the provincial state of emergency measures at a press conference on Friday. The order stipulates that the population in flooded areas is limited to 30 liters of fuel per petrol station visit.
The Emergency Ordinance applies to drivers in the Lower Mainland-to-Hope Region, Sea-to-Sky Region, Sunshine Coast, Gulf Islands, and Vancouver Island. It is valid until December 1st.
Important vehicles, including commercial vehicles, Infrastructure repair vehicles and ambulance transports are excluded from the order.
Farnworth said the order includes requirements for gas retailers to make sure their supplies last by Dec. 1 and that the province will work with them to make sure that happens. Petrol stations and wholesalers are also banned from price gouging, and customers who insult, threaten or are contentious with their employees can be fined.
A boat passes under an overpass as it spins on former Highway 1 in Abbotsford, BC. (Jonathan Hayward / The Canadian Press)
Travel restrictions on damaged highways
As part of the order, non-essential traffic on the province’s freeway network has also been restricted, which continues to restrict travel and delivery flow to and from Metro Vancouver.
Highways where non-essential travel has been restricted include:
- Highway 99: From the intersection of Highway 99 and Lillooet River Road to the entrance to BC Hydro Seton Lake Campground in Lillooet.
- Highway 3: From the intersection of Highway 5 and Highway 3 in Hope to the west entrance to Princeton on Highway 3.
- Highway 7: From the intersection of Highway 7 and Highway 9 in Agassiz to the intersection of Highway 7 and Highway 1 in Hope.
More than 1,000 people stranded in Hope Community, east of Vancouver, were subsequently reunited with their families a night train on Wednesday evening and the reopening of Highway 7 to major traffic.
Part of Highway 1 on Vancouver Island known as Malahat was also reopened early. Highway 3 east of Hope was also opened again on Friday afternoon.
BC Secretary of Transportation Rob Fleming also said that restricted travel may soon be possible on Highway 99 wherever a person is lost their lives in a mudslide. According to the RCMP, four other people were reported missing along the highway.
A commanding officer speaks to soldiers gathered at Abbotsford Airport. More than 100 soldiers have arrived in the Fraser Valley area of British Columbia to help with emergency management. (Francois Joly / CBC)
Soldiers help rebuild levees in the Fraser Valley
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has pledged to help British Columbians recover from the flood, including with military aid. More than 14,000 residents were not at home on Friday afternoon.
Trudeau said 120 members of the Canadian Armed Forces have been deployed to Abbotsford, BC, one of the hardest hit areas, with an additional 350 members standing by in Edmonton. Soldiers have saved about 300 people, Trudeau said at a press conference after the North American summit in Washington
On Friday, military personnel were due to help build a 2.5-kilometer flood dam in Abbotsford.
But at a press conference that afternoon, Braun said that option was no longer being considered. The dam was supposed to be built to prevent water from spilling over the Trans Canada Highway, but the water levels leveled out on both sides.
CLOCK | Prime Minister Justin Trudeau pledges support for BC:
Trudeau says there are 120 soldiers in Abbotsford, BC
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced late in the evening about the federal government’s support for British Columbia, which is currently in a state of emergency. 1:14
Military personnel will now focus on repairing a damaged levee ahead of the next expected rains on Monday. Braun said he anticipates the entire levee may need to be upgraded to a higher standard. He said that while he was hoping the water levels would drop two feet, they’ve only dropped about six inches so far.
“Next week, starting Tuesday, 80 to 100 millimeters of rain are expected to come,” he said on Thursday. “That worries me if we don’t fix these violations.”
Braun said the cost of repairing damaged infrastructure in the community of 120,000 residents could reach $ 1 billion.
Ranchers and farmers in British Columbia’s Fraser Valley are particularly hard hit by flooding, as the region is home to half of the province’s dairy farms. Many of these farms are in Abbotsford, with hundreds of farms flooded in the low-lying Sumas Prairie region east of the city.
Farmers carry their cattle out of a flooded barn in Abbotsford. The city, southeast of Vancouver, is home to half of BC’s dairy farms and has been badly hit by the devastating floods. (Ben Nelms / CBC)
Friday school closings in Fraser Valley include all schools in the Fraser Cascade School District and Chilliwack School District, as well as Barrowtown, Matsqui, and Upper Sumas Elementary Schools in Abbotsford.
The floods were triggered by historical precipitation on the weekend when more than 20 daily rainfall records were broken in the province.
A person paddles a kayak past a submerged taxi after the major Abbotsford flood event. Further federal aid is on the way to the province while reconstruction begins. (Ben Nelms / CBC)
Other jurisdictions to help BC’s animals
Popham said other provinces and Washington state have also offered to send resources to help the province’s farm animals. “Some of the feed in Vancouver harbor that was destined for China is diverted to the valley,” she said.
Many animals have been trapped in barns with no clean feed or water, and owners have been ordered to evacuate their animals without towing them. A total of 959 farms are on evacuation orders across the province.
Popham said earlier that week Thousands of animals had perished in the floods. On Thursday, she said the province was using helicopters to drain water and help isolated farmers; 35 vets are also available to help.
There has been tension between police trying to protect people from dangerous conditions and farmers trying to reach their barns, Popham said, urging everyone to respect evacuation orders in force.
CONTINUE READING:
- Farnworth said the province will begin using the national alert ready system “next spring” or “next summer” after criticism from local residents and numerous natural disasters this year.
- A resident of the small community of Yarrow, BC, shared how he and his puppy were made a terrible escape from rapidly approaching floods.
- The province has announced financial support for those affected by the flood. The application deadline is February 12, 2022.
Anyone placed under evacuation orders should leave the area immediately.
To find an evacuation center near you, visit the emergency management BC Website.
Evacuees are encouraged to register with Emergency support services online, regardless of whether they access the services of an evacuation center or not.
Road conditions can be checked under DriveBC.
