Heavy rains on Friday night have caused “significant flooding” in the Englishman and Nanaimo rivers area, according to the Regional District of Nanaimo.
According to a press release, residents of Wilkinson, Riverside, Alice and Raines roads in the Nanaimo River area and Martindale and Plummer roads near Englishman River were affected.
Road closures may be in effect and the RDN asks you obey signs and not to drive or cross roads that are closed. It also asks that residents in affected areas have their “personal recovery plans in place” as staying where you are could be a safer option than trying to “evacuate.”
“After this extended period of rain, soil is saturated and many local watercourses contain debris and are running extremely quickly,” the press release said. “People should be cautious around slopes and leaning trees, and keep children and pets well away from the water.”
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Crews help evacuate residents in Cedar area due to flooding https://t.co/NwHHKWQb31
— Nanaimo Bulletin (@NanaimoBulletin) February 1, 2020
Transit is also being affected. In a social media post, RDN Transit said the Route 8 bus, servicing Cedar via Duke Point Highway, will not be passing through stops on Cedar Road from Island Highway to Cedar Bridge until further notice due to a road closure.
According to Emergency Info B.C., a flood watch has been issued for eastern Vancouver Island, including Nanaimo River near Cassidy, Englishman River near Parksville and Little Qualicum River near Qualicum Beach. People are advised to “stay clear of fast-flowing rivers and potentially unstable river banks.”
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Good Morning! 🙌ðŸ¼
Due to a road closure, the 8 route is routing into Cedar via the Duke Pt Hwy. We will not be servicing the stops on Cedar Rd. from the Island Hwy. to the Cedar Bridge until further notice. Sorry for any inconvenience. ðŸšðŸšŒ#rdntransit #nanaimo pic.twitter.com/s1gBM9aGvr— RDN_Transit (@RDN_Transit) February 1, 2020
The RDN asks that people not drive or cross standing water, as it could be a safety hazard.
To report downed power lines and for emergency assistance, the RDN says to call 911.
For road conditions, people are asked to call Mainroad Mid Island Contracting at 1-877-215-6006.
For more information on flooding and emergency protocol, go to rdn.bc.ca/emergency-program.
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Flood Warning issued for South & West Vancouver Island. Flood Watch issued for Eastern Vancouver Island. More details at: https://t.co/ooqrQmg9DD #BCFlood #BCStorm
— Emergency Info BC (@EmergencyInfoBC) February 1, 2020
