Mother Nature is all powerful. Every once in a while we get too comfortable and forget that there is only so much we can do to keep her at bay. One year ago we faced an atmospheric river like none before and it tore through the land, changing it forever. Flooding, landslides, washouts, destruction, chaos, just a few words to describe what happened on that fateful weekend.
In November 2021, an atmospheric river in B.C. triggered fatal mudslides and damaged critical highway infrastructure.
It called into question responsibility for flood mitigation in a province repeatedly pummeled by the impacts of climate change. https://t.co/MqWzncJish— CBC News (@CBCNews) November 15, 2022
Living in Agassiz I had a front line exposure to the sheer force the rain had. Highway 1 had already been closed due to a massive slide, this caused traffic returning from the interior to reroute onto the Lougheed between Hope and Agassiz. Bumper to bumper the travelers worked their way back to the city only to have the mountainside give way on the Seabird bluffs. 7 cars and 11 people were swept from the road and another slide further back would trap hundreds more on the raised section of highway along the mountainside. Agassiz Fire responded that night, including my best friend and my dad, who are both long time firefighters. They made the incredibly dangerous decision to enter the debris flow and try to rescue the people trapped by the slide. As luck would have it, they saved everyone and suffered no casualties of their own, wading through chest deep muck and debris to bring people out. That was just the beginning of the problems we would face as a collective. Lake Sumas threatened to return and permanently change the geography of the upper Fraser Valley, until a crew of 200 volunteers and city crews were able to save the Barrowtown pump station from going underwater. Hopefully as time goes on the warning signs are noticed sooner and people can be given proper time to prepare. The pieces are still being picked up from last year and I have no doubt the repairs will continue for a long time. The mountain along Lougheed highway still bears the scars to this day, a reminder of how we are at Mother Nature’s mercy.