On Sunday afternoon, the Tseshaht First Nation was warned by Environment Canada and other government agencies that a massive storm is headed toward Port Alberni, Vancouver Island, British Columbia.
Environment Canada has described the storm as an “atmospheric river”, forecasting 80 to 120 millimeters of rainfall from Sunday to Tuesday. The B.C. River Forecast Centre is anticipating flooding just as bad, or even worse, than the floods of 2014.
“It’s looking very bad. We had thought the rain was going to go north and we hoped we’d escape. But it doesn’t look like it at all,” Tseshaht First Nation emergency preparedness co-ordinator Hugh Braker told
Times Colonist.
Braker warned that while Port Alberni can withstand 80 to 120 millimeters of rainfall, the Somass River watershed is expected to collect 275mm of rain, with some areas projected to accumulate as much as 300mm.
“And that we cannot handle. The river here is already at flood stage and we just can’t handle that. I don’t know what we’re going to do.”
Last Friday, the Tseshaht declared a state of emergency after heavy rainfall caused flooding in the homes along the Somass River. The flooding was so severe that six families had to be temporarily relocated to local hotels—the families were allowed to return to their homes Sunday evening, but may be called once again to evacuate due to the storm.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if we ask families from eight or nine of those residences to leave. I’d like to ask all of them to leave, but quite frankly some people really hate leaving their homes,” explained Braker.
Braker said that Highway 4, which links Port Alberni and Tofino and Ucluelet, is expected to flood Monday night.
One thousand sandbags have been placed around 14 local homes at high risk of flooding,
Times Colonist reported. Another 800 sandbags have been prepared by volunteers.
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