'The time to prepare is now': B.C. officials warn South Coast residents ahead of storms - Action News
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British Columbia

'The time to prepare is now': B.C. officials warn South Coast residents ahead of storms

A series of storms of increasing intensity have already started to hit the region and the province's safety minister says make sure to have an emergency kit on hand and in the car if you have to be on the roads.

Prime Minister to visit on Friday as series of storms of increasing intensity hit the region

Soldiers work on flood recovery in Abbotsford, B.C., on Wednesday just one day before the first in a series of three more storms are expected to bring excessive rainfall to the region. (David Common/CBC)

Officials are warning residents on B.C.'s south coast to batten down the hatches and be preparedto flee if they live in a flood zone as a series of storms slams the already hard-hit region.

Provincial Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth, in a Thursday news conference, did not mince words when talking aboutanother series of atmospheric riversthat hit southwest B.C. overnight intoThursdayand which areforecast to bringup to 80 millimetresof rainto areasalready hit by widespread flooding last week.

"The time to prepare is now," he said.

Farnworthadvised residents in the region have an emergency kitat home and in their vehicle with food, water, blankets and other life-saving supplies on hand.

The B.C. government has been criticized for not doing enough to alert peopleaboutweather conditions last week after relentless rains caused fatal mudslides, mass evacuations due to flooding and destroyed highway infrastructure.

Provincial officials are reminding people thatEnvironment Canada and Drive B.C.provide alerts and updates on weather and road conditions.

The first of three storms in the forecast has already arrived, with another expected early Saturday and the most intense and final storm to hit land Tuesday.

For many areas across the South Coast, this will be the all-time wettest month on record, according to CBC meteorologist Johanna Wagstaffe.

Farnworth said 250 culverts have been inspected because of the coming storms, road crews are standing by and emergency workers have also come from Alberta to help where needed.

WATCH | Here are some key items to have in an emergency bag

How to prepare for emergencies on the road

3 years ago
Duration 1:38
Extreme weather on B.C. highways recently left hundreds of travellers stranded in their vehicles for days. Here are some key items you should always have ready in an emergency bag in your vehicle.

Working with communities

Minister of Municipal Affairs Josie Osbornesaid she and other ministers are speaking regularly with municipal leaders in areas affected by flooding and mudslides to hear how they can work better together.

"Staff are in daily contact with the communities that are impacted, working in collaboration with other ministries to co-ordinate responses so that communities don't have to reach out to several ministries to get the answers that they need," said Osborne.

Two men load sandbags off a boat while standing in knee deep water
Volunteers load sandbags onto a motorboat, which will be taken to farms in the Sumas Prairie flood zone, in Yarrow, on Friday. (Ben Nelms/CBC)

According to Osborne, theMunicipal Finance Authority of B.C has offered to help impacted communities with funding for rebuilding.

The minister said emergency money from the province is also available to local government to help with immediate infrastructure rebuilding and debris removal.

She said local leaders have also expressed shared interest in rebuilding in ways that offer better protection against climate change.

"Nobody expects communities to do this alone," said Osborne.

Federal support is also arriving everyday in the province. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will visit B.C. on Friday to talk to Premier John Horganand Farnworth. He will also visit the flooded community of Abbotsford in the Fraser Valley and talk to local First Nations leaders.

Road repairs at risk

Bad weather could hamper efforts to get B.C. highways moving again, according to Rob Fleming, the province's transportation minister.

But he announced a small victory, saying Highway 1 through the Fraser Valley will reopen at 2 p.m. PT on Thursday after being closed for more than a week, though he acknowledged there are more than 200 sites on roads in the Interior and along the South Coast that suffered damage.

Fleming said crews are working on the daunting task of getting the Coquihalla Highway safe enough for at least commercial vehicles, ideally by January. But he saidweather could affect that date.

"We've never seen anything like this in B.C.," he said.