The Cowichan Valley Regional District and the Regional District of Nanaimo have declared a State of Local Emergency as heavy rain results in flooding, road closures and some evacuations.
In the Cowichan Valley, the district declared the state of emergency just after noon Monday and said it applied to areas including the CVRD, Municipality of North Cowichan, City of Duncan, Cowichan Tribes, Halalt First Nation and Penelakut Tribe.
It follows an evacuation order issued to residents of the Meadow Glen apartment building on Canada Avenue in Duncan.
“A reception centre for evacuated residents of this building and any other affected residents in the region has been established at the Cowichan Community Centre,” the district said in a statement.
READ MORE: Nanaimo mobile home park residents forced to evacuate due to flooding
Just before 5 p.m. an evacuation order was issued for properties at Riverside Campground along Allenby Road “due to immediate danger to life safety” caused by extremely high river flows.
“Debris in fast-moving water may cause damage and pose a threat to life and property,” the CVRD wrote in its order.
Officials are expected to provide door-to-door notifications of those affected and orders will also be posted on the Alertable network online.
The Trans-Canada Highway was closed in multiple places on the South Island and Cowichan Valley and motorists were urged to avoid travelling if they could Monday.
Smaller roads have also been affected and may be closed, the CVRD said.
For more information on road closures, click here.
For Nanaimo, the state of emergency was declared shortly after 2 p.m. as flooding continued in various areas around the district.
Along with a state of emergency, Nanaimo issued Evacuation Orders for areas near the Englishman River and the Nanaimo River. The below areas have been ordered to evacuate by the Regional District of Nanaimo (RDN):
- 380 Martindale Road, RDN Electoral Area G
- 246 Riverbend Road, RDN Electoral Area G
- Portions of Wilkinson Road, Alice Road and Riverside Road, RDN Electoral Area A
- Riverside Resort and Waters Road, near the Little Qualicum River in RDN Electoral Area G
The RDN says that residents living in the impacted areas that were at home have been contacted directly by the local Fire Departments and Search and Rescues agencies to assist with evacuations.
All residents are asked to leave the area immediately and register at the closest reception centre, either Parksville Community Centre at 132 East Jensen Ave., Qualicum Beach Civic Centre at 747 Jones Street or the Cedar Community Hall at 2388 Cedar Road.
“Residents in low-lying areas are encouraged to take precautions and if flooding occurs, move to higher ground. Stay away from river and stream banks as fast-moving water conditions are very dangerous,” reads a statement from the RDN.
The RDN Emergency Call Centre is open today until 6 p.m. to answer questions regarding flooding in the region at 250-390-0940 and open again from 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. on November 16, 2021.
My dad sent me this video of the Cowichan River a little while ago. #bcstorm pic.twitter.com/VUktR2Vh3S
— Nicholas M. Pescod (@npescod) November 15, 2021
Jeff Lawrence
Kori Sidaway
