Heavy rain in British Columbia has led to significant flooding, with Priya Sharma’s Esquimalt home submerged under four feet of water, causing widespread anxiety as more rain is forecast. The province has declared local emergencies in the Fraser Valley, where flooding and strong winds disrupted power for around 120,000 residents. Restoration companies have reported a surge in calls for water removal, likening the situation to the severe atmospheric river events of November 2021. Additionally, in Fernie, the city’s wastewater treatment plant has been overwhelmed, forcing the release of untreated sewage into the Elk River to prevent catastrophic failure.
