Canada sends military as flood-hit British Columbia declares emergency
- Death toll expected to rise in British Columbia after record rainfall on Pacific coast triggered a state of emergency
- Downpours trapped motorists in mudslides, forced thousands to flee their homes and cut Vancouver off by road and rail
The Canadian Pacific coast province of British Columbia declared a state of emergency on Wednesday following floods and mudslides caused by extremely heavy rainfall, and officials said they expected to find more dead.
Every major route between the Lower Mainland of British Columbia, where Canada’s third largest city of Vancouver is, and the interior of the province has been cut by washouts, flooding or landslides following record-breaking rain across southern British Columbia between Saturday and Monday. The body of a woman was recovered from one of the mudslides late Monday.
“Torrential rains have led to terrible flooding that has disrupted the lives and taken lives of people across BC. I want people to know that the federal government has been engaging with the local authorities,” Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in Washington.
“We’re sending resources like the Canadian Armed Forces to support people but also we’ll be there for the clean-up and the rebuilding after impacts of these extreme weather events.”
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Vancouver cut off from rest of Canada as deadly storm leads to floods
The federal government said it is sending the air force to assist with evacuations and to support supply lines.