Historic levels of rainfall across southern British Columbia and western Washington State have caused flooding and landslides that have destroyed roads and forced thousands of residents to flee. An “atmospheric river” carried storms in from the Pacific that dropped as much as 8 inches of rain on some areas over the weekend, causing rivers to overflow and low-lying plains to flood. At least one death has been blamed on the flooding so far.
Record Rainfall Floods British Columbia and Washington State
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Aerial views from the B.C. Ministry of Transportation show a washed-out bridge on the Coquihalla Highway near Carolin Mine Road (left), damaged roads near Seabird Island (center), and a flood-damaged road and railroad near Lytton, British Columbia, on November 15, 2021. #
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In Ferndale, Washington, rescuers rush into the flooded Nooksack River to stop a car with the driver still inside from floating away on Main Street, on November 16, 2021. The group of citizens went into the river and stopped the car, whose driver had gone past a road-closed sign, then muscled it back to shore. No one was injured. #
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A Royal Canadian Air Force 442 Squadron CH-149 Cormorant helicopter lands during the rescue of more than 300 motorists stranded by mudslides, in Agassiz, British Columbia, on November 15, 2021. #
RCAF / Reuters -
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