Flood-stricken British Columbia now under state of emergency, death toll set to rise
The Canadian western province of British Columbia is now under a state of emergency following a heavy storm that caused landslides and massive floods in the region.
In just two days, British Columbia experienced a month’s worth of rain, which experts called an “atmospheric river.”
The “atmospheric river” that caused the floods and landslides is a long strip of moisture in the air that transports water from tropical areas towards the poles.
The rainfall inundated roads and railways, blocking roads in Vancouver, British Columbia’s busy west coast seaport, and the lower mainland region from the rest of the country.
BBC has reported that the Canadian Armed Forces have already been deployed to assist thousands of residents who have been stranded since the heavy downpour happened on Sunday.
On Wednesday, several helicopters dropped food supplies to communities in the mountain areas.
One death has been confirmed, and official expect more fatalities in the coming days. At least three people are missing.
“We expect to confirm even more fatalities in the coming days,” British Columbia Premier John Horgan said in a separate interview by Reuters, describing the calamity as a once-in-500-year event
Some 18,000 people are displaced in the Pacific Coast province, BBC quoted Canadian Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino as saying.
According to the report, “officials in the region have attributed the natural disaster to the effects of climate change.”
Panic buying
Meanwhile, grocery stores in British Columbia have been emptied out by panic shoppers.
In another report by Reuters, western Canada’s largest grocery retailer Save-On-Foods has appealed to customers to avoid hoarding.
“We understand that this is a very stressful and challenging time for many of our communities,” the company said in a tweet. “Please – buy only what your family needs at this time.”
We understand that this is a very stressful and challenging time for many of our communities. We are working with the Red Cross, local authorities and organizations to do all we can to support our neighbours.
Please – buy only what your family needs at this time. pic.twitter.com/0oo2tbilkJ— Save-On-Foods (@saveonfoods) November 18, 2021
According to a witness information that was disclosed to Reuters, a police car has even escorted a convoy of four Save-On-Foods delivery vans through a roadblock to reach the stranded town of Hope on Thursday afternoon.