West Coast Now
With water climbing to potentially once-in-a-century levels on the Skeena and other rivers in northwest B.C., the community of Terrace is preparing for potential flooding.
But as last year’s catastrophic flooding in southern B.C. showed, people anywhere in the province can be hit by extreme weather.
And with climate change making those types of disasters more frequent and destructive, it’s good to be prepared for a worst-case flooding scenario.
Thankfully the province has released handy tips for how to protect you and your loved ones from potentially severe flooding:
- Protect your home: prepare for possible flooding of low-lying areas by moving equipment and other objects from these areas to higher ground where possible. Clear your perimeter drains, eavestroughs and gutters. If you think you need sandbags to protect your home, you should contact your local government for more information.
- Create grab-and-go bags: assemble an individual grab-and-go bag for each member of your household with the essentials you will need if you are asked to evacuate.
- Recognize the danger signs: if you live near a waterway, a change in water colour or rapid change in water level (especially a drop) could indicate a problem upstream. Call your local fire, police or public works department immediately if you suspect something out of the ordinary.
The government is also urging people to “park vehicles away from streams and waterways, move electrical appliances to upper floors and make sure to anchor fuel supplies. Listen to local officials if you are asked to evacuate.”
And another important one: “Do not drive through flood water.”
Check out this site for more potentially life-saving tips.
