3rd consecutive storm drenches southwest B.C. as evacuation orders remain in place
CBC
THE LATEST:
The last of three major storms is pounding southwest B.C. with heavy rain as flood-ravaged communities brace for potential evacuations and damage.
Flood-soaked regions like the Fraser Valley and the Nicola Valley east of Vancouver may receive up to 100 millimetres of rain, while snow is also expected at higher elevations.
The impact from the rain is expected to be worse due to extensive damage from the two previous storms. The first, which struck the province from Nov. 15 to 17, led to historic rainfall records being broken, and another over the weekend led to renewed evacuation orders and highway closures.
Evacuation orders remain in place for hundreds of properties in southwest B.C. The current storm system affecting the province hit the Central Coast first before travelling south, leading to more evacuation orders in areas north of the Fraser Valley region and Metro Vancouver.
This includes the communities of Hope, Mission, and Hatzic in the eastern Fraser Valley. Some residents of Maple Ridge, just east of Vancouver, had warnings delivered to them due to potential floods.
Hundreds of residents also remain away from their homes in B.C.'s Interior, including in Princeton and Merritt.
Nearly all of the province is at a high or extreme risk of avalanche, with the greatest dangers in places like the Sea to Sky region, north of Vancouver, the northwest coast and the northern Rockies.
Up to 150 millimetres of rainfall is forecast for parts of Vancouver Island on Wednesday, and nearly the entire Island is under a flood watch.
A flood watch is also in effect for the Fraser, Tulameen, Coldwater, Similkameen, Coquihalla and Sumas rivers. A flood warning means river levels have exceeded or will exceed their banks, and nearby areas will flood as a result. A flood watch means river levels are rising and may spill their banks.
On Tuesday, Highway 99 between Pemberton and Lillooet was closed until further notice due to weather conditions. The stretch saw a mudslide that left four people dead and one missing.
Numerous other highways remain closed or under travel advisory due to the impact of previous floods and mudslides.
The stretch of the Trans-Canada Highway (Highway 1) between Abbotsford and Chilliwack, crucial for connecting Metro Vancouver and the rest of the province, remains closed.
There is also a travel advisory for Highway 20 in the Bella Coola Valley area on the Central Coast.
CBC Newfoundland and Labrador is kicking off its annual holiday campaign, helping to raise money to support local food banks.
If all goes according to plan, at 6 a.m. AT on Saturday people working at the IWK Health Centre will become the test case for a generational change to Nova Scotia’s health-care system.
One month after Prime Minister Mark Carney announced what he called "generational" military spending, New Brunswick’s defence ecosystem is on high alert.
Miranda Mirlycourtois, 34, looks directly at the camera and makes a confession.
Saskatoon city hall says police spending is projected to be $2.6 million over budget this year. That pushes the city into a $1.2-million deficit position, according to a report that will be considered by city council next week.
Students at the University of Regina are days away from deciding whether a newly formed student association should become their official representative body.
All public schools on P.E.I. are closed Friday and thousands of Maritime Electric customers are without power as strong winds create hazardous travel conditions across the province.
Prince Rupert, B.C., residents are celebrating the holidays this year with coastal flair.
In the four years Chelsey Simmonds has worked at the Eva Rothwell Centre, she has seen the need increase every year at the centre’s community food pantry.
CBC is once again looking to make the holiday season kind in Windsor-Essex.
Acute Care Alberta has extended its contract for another year with a private surgical facility at the centre of probes into health procurement and contracting.
As food bank use continues to climb across the province, front-line workers in Thunder Bay, Ont., are working to improve both food security and education.
More ads could soon be coming to Toronto’s subway system.