DECEMBER 1ST, 2021
12:00 p.m.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
CENTRAL COAST REGIONAL DISTRICT EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTRE ACTIVATION
BELLA COOLA, BRITISH COLUMBIA
The Central Coast Regional District’s (CCRD) Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) is activated in response to the potential threat to people, property, and/or the environment, due to an atmospheric river that is currently releasing unusually high amounts of precipitation in the region.
As of 07:30 on November 29th, the BC River Forecast Centre (BCRFC) has issued a Flood Watch for the Central Coast, including the Bella Coola River (Bella Coola Valley) and the Wannock River (Wuikinuxv/Rivers Inlet). River levels are continually monitored, and at the time of this release are showing normal flow levels, with the Flood Watch still in place.
At the time of this press release, Environment and Climate Change Canada has removed its Rainfall Warning for the region, although heavy rainfall is occurring and is expected to continue through Wednesday. For the Outer Central Coast (including Wuikinuxv/Rivers Inlet), initially precipitation was forecasted to be 100-200 mm. For the Inner Central Coast (including the Bella Coola Valley), 80-120 mm was forecasted.
At the time of this release, the CCRD EOC is currently at activation Level I due to the ongoing potential threat of flooding. Level I activation means that any emergency response continues to be handled through all ongoing routine response activities by existing emergency personnel only (police, fire, ambulance), and no activation of a comprehensive response involving other agencies is required at this time. EOC activation also allows CCRD to receive financial and human resource support through Emergency Management BC (EMBC) and its Provincial Regional Emergency Operations Centre (PREOC) on Vancouver Island, and EMBC staff located in the Bella Coola Valley.
The CCRD Emergency Programs Coordinator and other CCRD staff are actively communicating with the Nuxalk Nation EOC and the Wuikinuxv Nation, and are continually monitoring the situation as it unfolds.
“Our staff continues to do excellent work interfacing with local, regional, and provincial government agencies in order to keep our communities safe and up to date on the unfolding weather situation in our region. The CCRD Board is very grateful for their work, and for the support our region continues to receive from Emergency Management BC”, says CCRD Chair Jayme Kennedy.
For more information please contact: Evangeline Hanuse, (250) 799-5291