A state of emergency has been declared in British Columbia, Canada, after heavy rainfall and floods hit several cities in the state, leading to the mass evacuation of thousands of people.
Some areas in British Columbia witnessed approximately 95% of their monthly rainfall in the night of Sunday to Monday morning.
The devastating landscape, west of the North American country, saw the deployment of the army following the failure of most infrastructures in the region.
The Canadian government announced the deployment of Canadian air forces to assist with evacuation efforts, support supply routes, and protect residents from flooding and landslides.
The state of emergency, which is set for 14 days until further notice, is intended to restore access to highways as quickly as possible, which have been closed for several days, disrupting supply chains and vital emergency assistance and aid.
The heavy rainfall and flooding have additionally led to the interruption of rail services at the Vancouver Port.
Civilians have been “highly advised to avoid travel,” in order to prioritize the delivery of essential goods and medical and emergency services.
As of this time, Canadian authorities have reported one death, while four individuals remain missing.
John Horgan, British Columbia Premier, says local authorities “unfortunately expect to confirm more deaths in the coming days.”
Horgan did not fail to mention that “natural disasters of this kind are becoming more regular as a direct result of human-induced climate change.”
Earlier this summer, forest fires ravaged the same province, which was suffocating under a historic heatwave.
The village of Lytton, 250 kilometers northeast of Vancouver, was 90% destroyed in late June by another fire in the midst of an extreme heatwave during which temperatures reached 49.6°C.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, currently on a trip to Washington, promised that the government “will be there for the cleanup and reconstruction.”
Although weather conditions have returned to normal, flooding is still affecting hundreds of farmers in the region.
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