(Victoria) British Columbia is poised to use a national emergency warning system ahead of what could be the most intense rainfall since a storm two weeks ago devastated communities and destroyed critical infrastructure, the government announced on Sunday.
Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth announced plans to use the Alert Ready system during a briefing on the ongoing series of storms, which triggered new evacuation orders and saw a great river rise from its bed and threaten parts of Abbotsford, BC this Sunday.
The second in a series of atmospheric rivers moved on Saturday and was still pouring rain into some areas 24 hours later, while a third, possibly more severe, storm is expected to arrive on the south coast on Tuesday.
“We are in the midst of one of the most intense series of storms we have seen along the coast of British Columbia,” said Minister Farnworth.
“Heavier rains mean that residents of the north, central and south coasts, Vancouver Island, Abbotsford and the Sumas Prairie face an extremely volatile situation. Once again, you have to be ready. ”
New evacuation orders have been issued for 56 properties in the Petit Creek-Spius Creek area west of Merritt, British Columbia. Meanwhile, Abbotsford Mayor Henry Braun announced that the Nooksack River south of the US border had crossed its banks on Sunday afternoon and floodwaters were heading towards Sumas Prairie.
Alert Me is a pan-Canadian system that allows government officials to issue public safety alerts through major television and radio broadcasters, as well as compatible wireless devices.
The system has been available since 2018, but British Columbia has come under fire for not using it to warn residents of deadly disasters this year, like the wildfire that ravaged the town of Lytton, B.C. , and the heat dome that claimed hundreds of lives.
“British Columbia’s emergency warning systems do not meet the challenges of today’s natural disasters,” said British Columbia Liberal MP Todd Stone, who represents Kamloops-South Thompson, during question period on November 18.
PHOTO MARTIN TREMBLAY, THE PRESS
Aerial view of the area most affected by the floods.
“All other provinces are using the On Alert system. They use it for tornadoes. They use it for forest fires. They use it for a variety of other natural disasters. We do not use it here, ”added the Liberal MP.
Minister Farnworth said on Sunday that provincial officials are in contact with local governments, First Nations and emergency personnel in areas where forecasts predict the worst impacts in midweek. British Columbia is ready to support them with the On Alert system if they determine there is a threat to life or public safety, he said.
“Local governments are the experts on the ground and emergency managers at the local and provincial levels will continue to coordinate closely over the coming days,” he said.
Authorities have warned that the next storm could reach intensities similar to those seen in the downpour that destroyed highways, inundated communities and caused mass evacuations two weeks ago. The next storm is expected to hit the central coast on Monday before moving south, with the biggest impacts expected on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Armel Castellan of Environment and Climate Change Canada said there is a lot of uncertainty at this point, and although meteorologists hope the impacts will remain as low as possible, they call for caution, vigilance and preparedness. maximum to cope with a “very strong storm and swell”.
The River Forecast Center has issued a new flood warning for the Coquihalla River.
Transport Minister Rob Fleming said crews were assessing “minor” damage along stretches of Highways 1, 3 and 99 which were closed as a precaution before the weekend storm. The damage included landslides, fallen trees and other debris, he said.
Minister Farnworth has called on residents of southwestern British Columbia to avoid non-essential travel in the days to come.