Vancouver storm: State of emergency declared in British Columbia; PM Trudeau pledges help

Severe floods and landslides were triggered by the record-breaking precipitation which lasted for several days in the British Columbia province of Canada on the Pacific coast, prompting the province to proclaim a state of emergency on Wednesday. Flooding has shut down transportation links between the province's lower mainland and its interior, as well as all railway connections to Vancouver, have been cut off. 

On Monday, officials reported one fatality from a mudslide and expect that the number of deaths will rise. Officials also warned that the province's recovery from the Vancouver storm's heavy downpours, which pounded southern British Columbia between Saturday and Monday, might take weeks, CNBC reported. Thousands of stranded individuals were stuck since the storm started and lasted overnight on Sunday and have been looking for shelters. The Canadian Armed Forces have been dispatched to assist them. 

'We are sending help your way': Canadian Prime Minister  

During a trip to Washington, DC, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau vowed to support and stated that the Canadian Armed Forces will assist in the reconstruction. In a tweet on Wednesday, PM Justin Trudeau said that they have been sending help on their way. The tweet further reads, “We’ve approved the province’s request for assistance, and we’ll have more @CanadianForces members on the ground as soon as possible — to keep you safe, support supply chain routes, and provide other necessary assistance.”   

This catastrophic flooding disaster comes just six months after an extraordinary heatwave ravaged Canada's westernmost province of British Columbia, setting the temperature to its peak and killing hundreds of people, as per CNBC. Furthermore, thousands of people have been rescued after the "atmospheric river" unloaded the province's monthly average of precipitation in only 24 hours. An "atmospheric river" is a continuous stretch of moisture present in the air that transfers water from tropical regions to the poles. Climate change has been blamed by officials in the region for the current natural calamity, the BBC reported. 

Meanwhile, by Tuesday afternoon, the heavy precipitation and severe wind gusts had almost stopped, but numerous residents remained stuck. More rain is expected later this week, driving officials to issue a state of emergency. After landslides wrecked roads and floods inundated major highways, helicopters delivered food supplies to trapped mountain towns on Wednesday. Presently, the local school in the province has housed over 700 people, and the church accommodated approximately 250 people while also feeding nearly 400 people every day, according to BBC.  

(Image: AP)