You may have heard on the news about flooding in British Columbia and Northwest Washington.
I’m fine, and my horse and dog are, too.
The rain started on Saturday, November 13, 2021 and became very heavy rain all day Sunday, November 14 and into Monday afternoon, November 15. There was also very high winds. Records were broken in the Greater Vancouver Area on Sunday with 4 to 8 inches of rainfall around the valley. Rivers and creeks began flooding. Ditches were overflowing and roads flooded.
Three blocks from my house the road was underwater and closed off. On Tuesday it took me 25 minutes to get home from work, when it usually takes 10 or 12 minutes. A lot of traffic out there trying to find routes that weren’t barricaded.
My horse is fine
I got drenched on Sunday afternoon going out to visit Cajun at the farm where I board him. The farm owners had decided to keep the horses inside the barn due to the torrential downpour. There was a few inches of water in the driveway in one section between where I parked and the barn.
After I spent time with Cajun, I chatted outside with the owner for two or three minutes. I was wearing a rain coat and my jeans got soaked from the rain run off. Crazy!
It wasn’t safe to drive anywhere after dark on Monday, so I drove out to check on him on Tuesday, November 16, after work. We’d been given a reprieve. Sunny all day. In the dark I can’t see if there is water on the road, and I came across a roadblock about four blocks from where I keep Cajun, and had to turn back and try another road. I watched a pick up truck plow on through the water. My car is low slung so I wasn’t going to chance it.
The boarding stable is very wet, as is everything else around here! The owners said their road was closed earlier, but reopened after the water receded. They were concerned about the farm across the street that turned into a lake. If the water crested the road and came into their property they’d have to evacuate. They were looking for places to take the livestock. In addition to the horses. they have chicken, and a couple of goats and sheep.
Fortunately it didn’t come to that!
It was dark by the time I arrived and I walked Cajun up and down the driveway a few times to give him a little exercise. The barn had flooded and the horses were standing in a couple of inches of water at one point. They had to strip the stalls and put down fresh bedding.
We’re lucky. We have it a lot better than many others.
State of emergency
British Columbia has declared a provincial state of emergency.
In addition to localized flooding, three cities in British Columbia have been submerged in water: Abbotsford (about 30 minute drive from me), Princeton (about 3 hours away), and Merritt about (two and a half hours in another direction).
Mudslides and washed out highways have closed off every route out of the Greater Vancouver Area and Fraser Valley to the rest of the province and the rest of Canada. The only way to reach other points in the country is by plane, or by driving south through Washington and heading East before crossing back into Canada again.
Vancouver is a port city. We have freighters bringing in goods. We have trucks moving supplies up from the United States. We’re good. Other parts of the province might run low and news outlets are reporting empty shelves at grocery stores.
Photos of the devastation
I’ve compiled Tweets so you can see the devastation in British Columbia.
My thoughts are with everyone affected by the flooding. I hope that things get better real soon.
Published by Cheryl @ The Lifestyle Digs on November 17, 2021.
