Tseshaht First Nation declare state of emergency due

High rain and wind warnings have prompted the Tseshaht First Nation to declared a state of emergency for the First Nation’s reserve on Friday, Nov. 4. The declaration was announced at 3 p.m. by Tseshaht emergency preparedness committee chair Hugh Braker.

Environment Canada estimates 100 to 150mm of rain will fall on the western slopes of inland Vancouver Island this weekend. Forecasts are for steady rain until Wednesday.

After a conference call with Emergency Management BC and other emergency preparedness organizations on Friday afternoon, Braker said weather projections for the next five days are very serious.

“I’m debating whether or not I should use the word catastrophic,” Braker told close to 25 residents who live near the Somass River on Tsahaheh I.R. #1 during an emergency community meeting at the Tseshaht office.

“The projections are that the rain storm tonight is going to result in flood levels equal to or above 2014.”

Braker said Friday’s rain storm is predicted to taper off on Saturday, but the river will continue to rise. It is expected to rain heavily from Sunday to Wednesday.

“We’re expecting here in the Valley tonight somewhere between 50 to 100 mm and in the mountains around the Valley, which is where it really matters; it could be anywhere up to 150 mm,” Braker said.

He added that the weather forecast centre expects they will up their warning for the Somass River in Port Alberni, creating a flood warning.

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“They expect the Somass River to climb to 1,100 cubic metres per second which is equal to the 2014 flood and they’re warning us it could very easily go higher than that,” Braker said.

Due to flooding, McCoy Lake Road is washed out and can’t be used from Farmer Bill’s Country Market to Highway 4.

By Friday afternoon more than 1,000 sandbags were filled and made available for homes along the Somass River and volunteers will continue to fill bags into the evening.

The emergency operations centre at the Tseshaht office will open 24 hours a day until Wednesday or Thursday.

karly.blats@albernivalleynews.com