The premier of British Columbia, Canada, declared a state of emergency Wednesday following the "atmospheric river event" that brought record rainfall, flooding and mudslides to the Pacific Northwest.
The big picture: A woman died in a mudslide that swept a B.C. highway Tuesday, and B.C. Premier John Horgan told reporters he expected more storm-related fatalities to be confirmed in the coming days. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau deployed the country's military personnel to assist with rescue efforts on Wednesday.
Members of @RCAF_ARC 408 Tactical Helicopter Sqn are en route from Edmonton to assist with #BCfloods relief effort, conducting reconnaissance of impacted areas in interior BC. @MARPAC_FMARP @CFOperations @BCGovNews @CAFinUS @CanadianForces pic.twitter.com/25sNxPIMvs
— RCAF Operations (@RCAFOperations) November 18, 2021
- The floods have displaced thousands of people, per CBC News.
Meanwhile, residents in the small U.S. border city of Sumas, Washington, were assessing property damage after floodwaters impacted three quarters of homes, AP notes. The only river still under threat from flooding in the state is the Skagit.
- A flood warning remained in effect for the river on Thursday.
Our thought bubble, via Axios' Andrew Freedman: The floods were exacerbated by the wildfire season and heat waves that affected this region, which denuded hillsides of vegetation and led to mudslides and more runoff. It's an example of one climate disaster leading to another.
In photos: Floods ravage Washington state and British Columbia
Go deeper: Extreme weather outruns the world
Editor's note: This article has been updated with more photos and details of the military deployment.
