After a severe storm dropped a month's worth of rain in two days across a stretch of the pacific north-west in Canada and the United States, troops have been sent to British Columbia to assist trapped residents and explore areas affected by landslides and floods.
Military Support
On Wednesday, the Canadian government authorized a request for federal aid from the beleaguered province, according to Bill Blair, Canada's minister of emergency preparation.
Military soldiers will assist with evacuation efforts, supply chain assistance, and flood and landslide protection for civilians.
Defence Minister Anita Anand stated that some armed forces members had already arrived on the ground and that more troops would be arriving soon.
It comes after the premier of British Columbia declared a state of emergency, warning that the death toll would likely grow.
"For British Columbians, the last four days have been tremendously painful," said John Horgan. "Heavy rains, high winds, and flooding have wreaked havoc across our province."
"While Environment Canada termed this a once-in-a-100-year occurrence, we know that the climate crisis is to blame for the increased risk of severe storms," Horgan continued.
Related Article: Storm Wrecks Pacific North-West Leaving Major Damages in US and Canada
Travel Restrictions
The government would apply travel restrictions, he added, to guarantee that crucial items can reach communities. Officials also warned of an impending animal welfare catastrophe, with agricultural minister Lana Popham stating that "thousands of animals have perished" thus far due to the flooding.
Rising Water Levels
Water levels in Washington state south of the border began to recede on Wednesday, after floods in the border town of Sumas destroyed three-quarters of the homes, leaving 1,600 inhabitants without power and forcing hundreds to evacuate.
However, communities shut off from the rest of the province in Canada got a slight reprieve when at least one lady was confirmed dead in a landslide.
By road, Vancouver remained cut off from the rest of the nation. The two major rail companies, Canadian National and Canadian Pacific, have announced that freight service has been discontinued due to track damage.
Emergency services used helicopters and boats to rescue 184 people in Abbotsford, where the mayor warned of "catastrophic" flooding if the city's pump system failed.
In an emergency press conference, Henry Braun urged people, "Nothing is worth your life." "I encourage everybody listening to please follow the evacuation order and leave." It's possible that tomorrow morning will be too late."
Much of the land was once part of Sumas Lake, a large body of water drained in the twentieth century. According to city authorities, pumps that divert water from the basin at a pace of half a million gallons per minute were on the edge of malfunctioning, causing even more water to inundate portions of the city.
Working Together
Hundreds of residents helped build sandbags around the pumping station, and on Wednesday morning, Braun reported that the river levels were lowering - and that the pumps looked to be holding.
Harrington, who works in global humanitarian relief and routinely goes to locations where infrastructure is collapsing, said he was nonetheless stunned by the damage.
"Things that we just assumed would always be there - like highway bridges that had been a part of our lives for 30 years - were completely demolished."
"Mountaintops have just toppled into roadways." "It's tough to understand the magnitude of the devastation."
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