Government Canada The army has mobilized to help rescue residents trapped by “historic floods” on the country’s west coast, near the Pacific Ocean, as torrential rains prompted authorities to declare a state of emergency.
The rains left one dead and four missing, forced thousands of residents to flee and isolated the port city of Vancouver in British Columbia.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who is in Washington for a meeting with Presidents of the United States, Joe Biden, and Presidents of Mexico, Lopez Obrador, said the rains have caused “historic and horrific floods” across British Columbia.
“I can confirm that there are hundreds of Canadian Armed Forces personnel going to British Columbia to help with everything,” Trudeau said.
Authorities described the storm as a “once-in-a-century climate event” that wreaked havoc in Canada
The regional premier, John Horgan, declared a state of emergency, banning displacements and saying the rains “devastated entire communities”. “Unfortunately, we hope to confirm more deaths in the coming days.”.
So far, the body of a woman has been found in a landslide near Lilluitt, 250 kilometers from Vancouver.
Heavy rain followed, months after a historic heat wave in British Columbia killed 500 people and caused fires.
“These events are increasing in frequency due to the effects of man-made climate change,” Horgan said.
The provincial premier also urged residents to calm down, after many residents rushed to stock up on supplies and many markets ran out of products. “You don’t need 48 eggs. Twelve eggs are enough, leave the rest for someone else.”
Hundreds of roads remain closed, and Vancouver is cut off from the rest of Canada. Nearly 300 drivers stranded on the roads were rescued as the rain subsided.
The city’s railways, which includes one of the country’s most important ports, have also been closed due to landslides.
A house surrounded by floods in Abbotsford, British Columbia, November 17, 2021 in Canada – Photo: Daryl Dick/The Canadian Press via AP
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