Peace River staff visiting stranded residents to assess damage caused by B.C. floods
'There will be people knocking on your door,' said Shannon Anderson of Peace District
Peace River Regional District staff are reaching out to people stranded by floods and road wash-outs in northeastern B.C. and urging them to call with any needs.
Door knockers will be targeting the more than 200 properties cut off by flooding to help supply water, generators and guidance on how to get financial assistance.
"We are reaching out to those folks to try and get an idea of what the needs are," said Shannon Anderson, deputy chief administration officer of the Peace River Regional District.
He's urging people on the estimated 420 properties affected along the creeks that feed into Pine River to call and let officials know what they need. The floods impacted a long list of small, but dense rural areas including Dawson Creek, Chetwynd, Fort St. John, Hudson's hope, Pouce Coupe, Taylor, Tumbler Ridge and First Nations communities including Saulteau and West Moberly.
The district hired two helicopters to fly over the area to assess needs. Officials estimate at least 213 have no road access, while 205 are "severely affected by flooding." Enough rain fell in one day in Dawson Creek to cover an upright cell phone, drowning crops, filling basements and causing havoc.
Now they want to talk to people to get a better sense of immediate needs.
"There will be people knocking on your door to have a chat and find out how you are doing," said Anderson.
"It's got to be very traumatizing for them having this water come down into your homes and literally see it destroy your home before your eyes. I can't imagine the distress," Anderson added.
Based on what happened in 2011 during similar floods Anderson expects homes will be filled with sediment and debris, pumps to water wells and sewer systems will be overwhelmed, generators won't be working and people will need water, food and help.
"We are encouraging folks to phone in. We want to know what your needs are."
Help centres called "Resiliency Centres" will be set up in Chetwynd, B.C and Dawson Creek, B.C. to help people find their feet after the floods and spread information about financial assistance that's available.
A state of emergency was declared in Dawson Creek this week after overflowing banks damaged city infrastructure, roads and homes.
At least one bridge was completely destroyed by raging flood waters, and many roads have collapsed. 60 people were forced to evacuate their homes. Schools were also closed.
Highway 97 near Chetwynd, which links the Peace region to the rest of B.C., remains closed with multiple locations completely washed-out or severely damaged, especially in the area of Pine Pass.
The Ministry of Transportation predicted highway repairs would take weeks. The alternate route for drivers involves a ten-hour detour through Alberta.
Environment Canada meteorologist Lisa Coldwells said the 89.8 mm of rain that fell in Dawson Creek during the daytime June 15 is an all-time high according to records going back to 1926.
Town hall meetings are also planned at 7 p.m. PT on June 20-21 in Dawson Creek and then Chetwynd.
People in need of help after the flood can call Peace River Regional District at 250-784-3200.
