Red Cross issuing flood affected households $2,000, B.C. braces for next weather event

After thousands were affected by recent flooding in southern B.C., the public safety minister says the province is partnering with the Canadian Red Cross to provide financial assistance.

Mike Farnworth says this support will be for people with primary residences who were placed on evacuation order due to flooding and extreme weather events between Nov. 14 and 16. Eligible households will receive $2,000.

“We’re a resilient province, that is clear. We’re strong, compassionate, and resolute. And above all, we help each other in good times and in bad times,” he said Tuesday.

Red Cross to provide funds to those who have been evacuated from their primary residence. Farnworth says eligible households will receive $2,000. #bcpoli #BCFloods

— Martin MacMahon (@martinmacmahon) November 23, 2021

To access the funding, evacuated British Columbians need to register with the Red Cross by calling 1 800 863-6582.

Emergency Support Services have registered more than 6,500 evacuees.

Student emergency assistance funding and Indigenous emergency assistance funding are also available for students at the Nicola Valley Institute of Technology and the University of the Fraser Valley.

“This money is to relieve pressure and stress on students. It is not a loan that has to be paid back, it can help students pay for living expenses, travel and food,” Farnworth says, adding, “I want all students to know the help is there and our government is here for you.”

The province is also working with the First Nations Health Authority and First Nations Emergency Services Society to get culturally safe support where it is needed and required.

Farnworth is also calling on British Columbians who have the means to donate what they can to support relief efforts through “trusted organizations” like the United Way, food banks, the Canadian Red Cross, or BC Liquor Stores.”

Other ways he says British Columbians can help are by keeping the roads clear, avoiding unnecessary travel through hard-hit areas, conserving fuel; carpooling, taking public transit, or checking on a neighbour.

The minister emphasizes B.C. is “not out of the woods yet,” as the next big weather event is set to move into the Lower Mainland Wednesday.

“Environment and Climate Change Canada has warned about a series of storms. We all need to pay close attention to the experts as the forecasts for these will get more accurate the closer we get to these events,” Farnworth says.

“What we have seen for example, in our briefings from Environment Canada, is that there are an … atmospheric river that is looking to North Vancouver Island and the Central Coast. So, how that develops … is something that we’re watching for to get an idea of the kind of rain that we can be expecting — whether that rain will be spread out over a number of days, for example, or whether it is spread out over a shorter time period. All of those things factor into the response that’s going to be required.”

While both CityNews Meteorologist Michael Kuss and Environment Canada say the upcoming system will not be as intense as the one that triggered mass flooding and mudslides last week, it is expected to bring significant rain and wind.

“Additionally, freezing levels will rise above mountain tops on Thursday. This may worsen recent flooding and impact vulnerable landscapes and infrastructure,” Environment Canada said in a special weather statement.

Read More: Prepare for more rain: Next weather system set to move in Wednesday night

Meanwhile, “good work is being done on the ground to keep people safe and get communities the supports that they need,” Farnworth says.

“The size of the current fight we’re in together is significant. It’s enormous, involving first responders, volunteers, emergency workers, heavy equipment operators, farmers, work crews, transport drivers, just about everybody. And many more hard-working people going around the clock in all areas of the province,” the minister says.

The Canadian Forces are in the province as more than 120 troops work in Abbotsford. The military is “labouring shoulder to shoulder with work crews” to repair destroyed infrastructure and help locals.

More than four-million sandbags are ready to be deployed with nearly 200,000 deployed so far.

Rail service is gradually being repaired after flooding and mudslides cut vital supply links.

Farnworth says that Canadian Pacific Railway Ltd. has reported that it will be resuming Tuesday and that Canadian National Railway is working to resume Wednesday.

In its first phase, 1,500 residents of Merritt returned home after the entire city’s population was forced to flee.

Related Articles:

• B.C. ‘cautiously optimistic’ CP railways could reopen Tuesday after floods

• Merritt flood evacuees begin return home on Wednesday

As a reminder, Farnworth says “when evacuated, please do not attempt to return home unless your local government says that it is safe to.”

To ensure that the supply chain can move with limited disruption, Farnworth said the province is extending an additional order to limit travel for Highway 7 from Merritt to Agassiz.

B.C. Transportation Minister Rob Fleming says these restrictions are necessary to keep supplies and essential service vehicles moving.

“It is imperative that we give priority to our central supply chain. And this is a way that we can do that,” he said.

This order is for the short term and will come into effect at 8 p.m. Tuesday, allowing those who drove to work to get home.

Because people have reached out to the province to express the importance of getting teachers and kids to school and essential healthcare workers to their jobs, the province is updating the definition of essential travel to include public transit vehicles, charter buses, and school buses to transport these workers and students while the order is in effect.

Work is continuing to be done to reopen Highway 1, “but a lot of it depends on upcoming weather events,” Fleming said.

With the upcoming weather events expected, Fleming says there is no timeline.

“In general though, water has receded in eastbound lanes, so those are now exposed. If the weather doesn’t affect this development, we should have a better sense as early as the end of day tomorrow about additional reopenings along Highway 1.”

– With files from Hana Mae Nassar