Another rainstorm expected to hit Canada's British Columbia
Darpan News Desk IANS, 22 Nov, 2021 01:10 PM
Ottawa, Nov 22 (IANS) A second "atmospheric river" rainstorm is expected to hit Canada's still-flooded province of British Columbia, according to Environment Canada.
The rainstorm will dump up to 100 millimetres of rain on some areas, and flash flooding and water pooling are possible, along with localized flooding in lower-lying areas, Xinhua news agency reported.
Environment Canada also warned of heavy snow in inland parts of the province on Sunday, saying that the snow could change to heavy rain as the temperature rises.
Some 20-30 centimetre snow has already fallen since Saturday and more snow is expected on Sunday before strong, warm winds from the south begin to melt that snow.
The British Columbia government called on its residents on Sunday to get prepared for heavy rain and strong winds.
The government declared a state of emergency last Wednesday due to floods and mudslides caused by the first "atmospheric river" rainstorm which lasted a few days. At least four people died in one of the multiple mudslides.
Atmospheric rivers are long, high plumes of moisture-laden air that can bring hours- or days-long rainfall of varying intensity to the west coast of North America.
The area is under an evacuation order because of flooding in the nearby Sumas River. Police-enforced roadblocks have been set up around the area to prevent people from coming or going.
The Mounties say in a statement they responded to a crash on Highway 97C south of Logan Lake around 12:15 p.m. Thursday. They say the crash was between a large utility vehicle and a passenger vehicle carrying the child, whose age was not released.
There are 3,345 active cases of COVID-19 in the province, and 208,284 people who tested positive have recovered. Of the active cases, 355 individuals are currently in hospital and 110 are in intensive care. The remaining people are recovering at home in self-isolation.
The federal government has scheduled a media briefing with officials at 10 a.m. Friday to share news regarding authorization of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for children.
The RCMP wouldn't confirm Thursday if arrests had been made. A spokesperson for protesters who set up a blockade along the road said in a video posted online that officers had read out the injunction order and then began arresting people.
The Supreme Court of Canada has agreed to hear a case that hinges on the time police took to arrange a breath test for a Quebec man. Asked if he had been drinking, Breault said he'd had one beer, but insisted he had not been driving the vehicle, contradicting trail patrollers who had contacted the police.
