The City of Dawson Creek has declared a local state of emergency, a day after flooding washed out bridges and flooded sewer lines. Mayor Dale Bumstead says they’ve assessed the damaged and feel moving into a local state of emergency is the right next step to protect residents.
It gives local authorities more power to take extraordinary measures if needed, like evacuating residents and entering private properties if there’s a threat. There’s also more support from upper levels of government.
The B.C. city saw more than 100 millimetres of rain in just two days. 100 kilometres to the west, the municipality of Chetwynd declared its own local state of emergency on Wednesday, after 79 millimetres of rain hit the area by noon.
