Canada has been facing heavy rains for several days. In the hardest-hit western part of the country, evacuations have been ordered, particularly in British Columbia.
After the wildfires that hit British Columbia this summer, the province is now under water. Faced with the floods but also the risk of landslides, local authorities ordered the evacuation of several areas in the south of the province.
The floods caused the closure of many highways that had become impassable, especially those leading to the city of Vancouver. More than 200 mm of rain are said to have fallen on the roads where several hundred motorists are still stranded. On Sunday, November 14, the emergency services managed to evacuate 275 people stranded between two landslides on Highway 7.
- EXTREME WEATHER EVEN FOR CANADA
Environment Canada meteorologist Alyssa Charbonneau told Radio Canada that "this is an extreme event." The province had not experienced such flooding for more than a decade, experts said.
The town of Abbotsford in the Fraser River Valley has been ordered to evacuate residents from the few hundred homes. In a statement, the city said: "Residents forced to leave their homes, or unable to return home due to flooding or landslides, should go to the Abbotsford Recreation Center for help. help and shelter. " Another example is the town of Merritt located northeast of Vancouver, which had to evacuate around 7,000 people.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called on the people of British Columbia to be careful, via his Twitter account: “To the people of Merritt and to British Columbians affected by the flooding: be careful. As Minister Blair said, we're going to be there to provide you with the support you need to help you deal with and recover from these floods and extreme conditions. "
Meteorologists estimate that if the rain should subside quickly, the wind will blow very violently in the next few days, which could lead to fallen trees and more power cuts.
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