The state of emergency is initially in effect for 14 days.
Thousands of people were forced to flee their homes after torrential rains triggered floods and landslides in British Columbia.
A woman was killed, Tuesday, in a landslide that hit a main road in the county. Two more people are missing CBC.
Many major highways were closed due to floods and landslides or destroyed by bodies of water that washed away portions of the road.
A helicopter landed where more than 300 drivers were injured in a landslide on November 15
Photo: RCAF/Reuters
Fear more dead
Hundreds of people are said to be cut off from being able to get around due to flooding in several places.
— British Columbia Provincial Authority Chief John Horgan told a news conference on Wednesday, “We fear and find more deaths in the coming days.”
He added that the past days were very difficult for the residents of the province.
– He said torrential rains, strong winds and floods devastated entire communities in our county.
Evacuation orders were issued in Abbotsford and Chilliwack early Tuesday, and residents were told to leave Somas Prairie and Yarrow neighbourhoods immediately as flood waters continued to rise.
Schools were closed in at least four municipalities on Tuesday.
The cities of Abbotsford and Chilliwack in southwestern Canada were among the worst affected cities.
Infrastructure affected
Much of the county is either under flooding or there is a risk of flooding.
Road closures threaten the delivery of important goods.
Rainfall from Saturday to Monday also posed major challenges for the largest railway companies. Damage to the train tracks halted freight transport.
A Volvo has made a final stop at a junction in Abbotsford, British Columbia.
Photo: Jennifer Guthier/Reuters
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who is in Washington for a two-day visit, has sent military forces to help the people of British Columbia.
“In my meetings here in Washington, DC, Canadians and Americans are standing together to support those affected by this storm,” Trudeau said Thursday.
The emergency, among other things, will help restart the railways and roads.
Transportation and Infrastructure Secretary Rob Fleming said our focus is to clean, repair and reopen roads to get our supply services moving.
Some cows didn’t want to go into deep water.
Photo: Jesse Winter/Reuters
Lots of dead animals
An animal welfare crisis has also been declared as a result of the large quantities of water. Several thousand animals have died and the government is working to bring veterinarians and food for the livestock, the Guardian writes.
For the past two days, residents of the Somes Brier farming district have tried to get their cattle to safety. Some have even used jet skis to graze livestock during floods.
Chloe DeVito lost her 21-month-old dog when her home was swept away by floods.
Water entered the house and the power went out. She told the Guardian: I stood on my neck in ice-cold muddy black water, and tried to get the dog out of the house.
A farm building surrounded by rising flood waters in Chilliwack, November 16.
Photo: Jonathan Hayward/Associated Press
The federal government sent military personnel to British Columbia to assist with evacuations and food distribution.
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