The State of Local Emergency declared for the Cowichan Valley Regional District and some of its member communities has been rescinded, as rainfall and river flows have subsided across the region.
The State of Local Emergency applied to areas of the Cowichan Valley Regional District, the Municipality of North Cowichan, City of Duncan, Cowichan Tribes, Halalt First Nation and Penelakut Tribe.
“We are very fortunate to be able to cancel our State of Local Emergency, although many residents are still reeling from the impact of this flooding event,” said Lori Iannidinardo, CVRD chair. “Sincere thanks to all the external agencies that lent a hand over the last couple weeks, particularly the Strathcona Regional District who deployed their staff last month to assist in response efforts.”
Following a flood, residents and businesses can take action to reduce damage and begin the recovery process. These steps include:
• Contact insurance agency and review the damage if safe to do so. In some cases a placard may have been placed on your door indicating that a post-disaster damage assessment has been completed. Follow the instructions on the card for the next steps. If the placard indicates unsafe conditions to stay in the home overnight, contact your insurance.
• If you do not have flood insurance, contact the Disaster Financial Assistance program by calling 1-888-257-4777. If you have not had a damage assessment and believe it is not safe to enter, please contact your local jurisdiction building inspection department. If you are beginning any repairs or remediation, take pictures of any damage prior to starting.
• If you are concerned about mold or air quality, contact Health Link B.C. 8-1-1. For more information on health considerations for flood, see Health Link B.C.
• Contact Canadian Red Cross which is providing $2,000 per household to those most impacted by the flood. To access these supports, evacuated British Columbians need to register with the Red Cross by calling 1-800-863-6582, between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. (Pacific Standard Time).
Any further emergency information will always be posted to the Alertable network. Residents can also check the CVRD website for up-to-date information, and the Drive BC website for updated road closure information.