[Meritt (British Columbia, Canada) 16th Reuters]–At least one dead and two missing people were reported in floods and landslides caused by two days of torrential rain in British Columbia, western Canada. Rail freight transportation to and from Vancouver Port, the largest port in the country, will be completely suspended, and there is a possibility that logistics will be disrupted, especially for grains, coal and potassium carbonate.
A landslide swept a car off the road near Pemberton, 160 kilometers northeast of Vancouver, killing at least one person. Authorities continue rescue and search activities.
Canada’s two largest rail companies, the Canadian Pacific Railway and the Canadian National Railway, have been forced to suspend some routes in the wake of a major flood.
A spokeswoman for the Vancouver Port Authority said not only did all rail transport to and from the port stop, but many highways, including the main road leading to Vancouver, were closed.
In the capital Ottawa, Trudeau said the government was very concerned about the flood and would provide as much support as possible.
The port of Vancouver has a daily cargo handling volume of C $ 550 million (US $ 440 million) and is a hub for a wide range of cargo, from automobiles to daily necessities.
The flood damage temporarily stagnated Canada’s wheat and rapeseed exports.
In Washington State, which is located in the south of British Columbia, heavy rains caused power outages in more than 150,000 households on the 15th, and residents are evacuating.
In some parts of British Columbia, a month’s worth of rainfall was observed in just 14 days. In the city of Merritt, 200 kilometers northeast of Vancouver, a little over a meter of inundation remained as of the 16th, and several cars were floating in the water while it was snowing.
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