 Good afternoon and welcome to this afternoon's operational information update on the storm system and flooding situation in BC. Please note we are experiencing some weather-related phone line disruption at this time. We appreciate your patience. For this afternoon's briefing we'll have updates from Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General Mike Farnworth, Armill Castellan with Environment and Climate Change Canada, Dave Campbell with the River Forecast Centre, Janelle State, Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure, South Coast Region, and Paula Cousins, Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure, Interior Region. A reminder to media on the line, please press star 1 to enter the queue. You will be limited to one question and one follow-up. With that, I'll turn it over to Minister Farnworth for an operational update. Good afternoon and thank you for joining me again today. I'm speaking with you from the traditional territory of the Laquangan speaking people and the song he's in the Guaymult First Nations. Joining me are representatives from Emergency Management BC, the River Forecast Centre, the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure, Environment and Climate Change Canada, and BC Hydro. Today and over the weekend, many areas in the province have seen heavy rains, high winds, and flooding. We are seeing significant rain-induced incidents such as mudslides and flooding in the southwest and central regions of the province. People in Merritt, Princeton and areas along Highway 7 and 99 and the Cocojala are seeing the worst of it. And I'd like to thank everyone who has affected for your patience, strength, and for doing everything you can to stay safe. As I said this morning, the situation is dynamic and further rains, high winds, and possible snow in areas are compounding the situation. The province has been in continual contact with local governments and we're working to support those affected. Local governments are monitoring the situation in their communities and standing up emergency operation centres as needed. Since early this morning, heavy search and rescue teams have been working to reach and rescue people trapped in their cars due to the mudslides. They are working in challenging weather, but they are working as quickly and safely as possible to help people. Progress has been made, so many people have been rescued by helicopters from mudslides near Agassiz and Hope with crews working to rescue the remaining people in the next few hours. I want to thank Agassiz and the Seabird First Nation for their support in housing those evacuees. A slide near Lillawet led to approximately 50 vehicles being stuck. Ministry crews and the Pemberton search and rescue team have rescued those on site and they are being housed in Pemberton. Over 20 emergency operation centres have been have been activated. As well, Emergency Management BC continues to work with local governments, MLAs and MPs to share the latest information and share what they are seeing and hearing in their communities. Since this morning, there has been a slide near Hague on Highway 7 that has trapped many vehicles. Exact numbers are still being assessed. Work is underway to rescue those vehicles and those people now. We have heard from people who are concerned about their loved ones being in their vehicles and trapped on these slides. We hear you and we know it is difficult but help is on the way and has been happening and working all day long. Before passing the staff for updates, I would like to encourage people to visit Drive BC and prepare BC for the latest updates. Their staff are working 24-7 to provide updates online. While we continue to face challenging weather conditions, we can see an improved forecast ahead which will assist with recovery and reopening of roads. At this time, I will pass it over to Emergency Management BC. Thank you. Thank you and we will pass it along to RML Castellan with Environment and Climate Change Canada. Please go ahead, RML. Thank you. We are mostly done with the range of showers on the south coast but we have very strong winds from the west over Wanda Fuca and from the northwest down Georgia Strait, 70 gusting to 90 kilometers an hour, a direction that we haven't seen very much of this fall, so probably more power edges on its way. The freezing levels remain high over the interior. Rain is going to shift to snow for places like the Coca-Cola Summit. Up to 20 centimeters are possible and a lot of wind, so very treacherous driving conditions and very poor visibility is likely. The wind is also going to affect the interior. We just had a very strong thunderstorm right over Kelowna in the last half hour, hail as well, and those conditions are going to affect the interior here for the next few hours into the evening. Luckily, there will be a little bit of calmer weather for a couple days before we get back into an active stretch thereafter. Thanks, that's all from me. Thanks very much. We'll pass it along to Dave Campbell with the River Forecast Center. Dave, please go ahead. Thank you and I'll just provide a brief update on river conditions around the province, really following along from the weather side of things. On the rivers, not surprisingly, with the significant rainfall that we've seen in historic, as RML has described, we're seeing similarly historic and unprecedented stream flow in rivers in a number of areas in the southwest part of BC, including around the Tulemin and Smilkemin rivers up through the cold water and Nicola river systems, as well as local tributaries along areas of the Fraser Valley and on southern Vancouver Island. These are certainly the areas where we've seen the heaviest stream flow responses, both from the heavy rain, but also from warm temperatures and fairly rapid snowmelt of mid elevation snow packs that were building up over the last few weeks. We have a number of flood warnings in effect, particularly those areas that I just mentioned. In terms of conditions going forward, we're starting to see as the system has passed, as RML has described, that some of the rivers, particularly in the higher headwater areas, are starting to reach their peak levels, and we're expecting to see that trend to continue as we move downstream throughout the afternoon and evening as the highest flows pass. As we still have quite high flows, it's important to note that the situation is still, or the flows are still very dynamic, very powerful, and extremely hazardous. Certainly continuing to use caution, and I think it will really be until we've got a significant drop in the river levels before we start to see that hazard subside. In terms of updates, we're continuing to push the updates and advisories and flood warnings on the river forecast at the Centre website, and that's the best source for up-to-date information, gov.bpc.ca, slash river forecast, and that's the end of my update. I'll pass it back. Thank you. Our next operational update comes from Janelle State, Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure. Good evening. Well, I'll start with an update here in the Lower Mainland Fraser Valley area. We've had an opportunity to have helicopter flights on a number of our corridors. On the Highway 7 corridor we have four different locations where we do have debris flows and washouts. As Mr. Farnworth mentioned, one of the sites near Sea Bird Islands, while we haven't actually been in a place where we can actually start moving any of the materials yet, we have been able to work to get some of those folks rescued from that area, which is excellent, and that work is ongoing. The slide that was mentioned, or the rock sort of, sorry, the debris material that came through in around the Hague area. We do have our maintenance contractors on scene and a ton of heavy equipment at the east end of the site near Hague. Right now we do have the all-queer from our geotechnical engineers to start working. However, we are waiting on BC Hydro to de-energize some large high voltage lines there. So once that work is done, we're assessing that we'll be able to spend a number of hours. We have lights deployed and start clearing a pathway through to enable the vehicles that are trapped in that section of the highway to be able to clear themselves towards Hope. As they move on on the Highway 1 corridor, Highway 1 remains closed between Hope and Popcom. And actually in the next few minutes we will have a traffic advisory going out that is going to be shutting down Highway 1 at seven o'clock this evening between Number 3 Road and Highway 11. As Dave mentioned, we have some continued river increasing on the sea mass. And so we want to ensure that Highway is closed. So this few hours of notice gives folks an opportunity to start clearing for the area at 7 p.m. On Highway 1 on the Fraser Canyon we have to assess that site and in the air signs of numerous washouts and areas of erosion. So significant work to be done on that stretch of the corridor. On Highway 5 same thing, through an air assessment, we've seen lots of washouts are on site monitoring at opportunities to assess other options from a movement of people via the Brentwood Bay ferries. Highway 1 at Mt. Sicker, north of the Duncan area, remains closed due to heavy volumes of water coming across the highway there. So continuing to monitor that and waiting for the water to recede in that area to be able to undertake an assessment that heavy congestion along that area of Highway 1. On Highway 14 we've been able to reopen the stretch of Highway at Impala Road, which is east of Sooke, to single lane alternating traffic. So there is some significant congestion there, but we are able to get folks through along that portion of the corridor. And Highway 4 on Kennedy Lake through our construction site has had an extended closure looking at reopening, hopefully later this evening, with the heavy rains that we've seen it's creating some instability in the rock face along the corridor. So having to take a look at that and ultimately ensuring that it's safe prior to reopening that stretch of the corridor to single lane alternating traffic. And that's it for the South Coast region. Thank you very much. Next we go to Paula Cousins, Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure, Interior Region. Good afternoon. The Highway 5 Coca-Cola remains closed between Merritt and Hope. The corridor is received over 230 millimeters of rain since Saturday evening. As Janelle mentioned, damage assessments are ongoing. And at this time, we do not have an estimated time of reopening for the corridor. Highway 1 is closed south of Spence's Bridge due to debris flows of washouts south of Lytton in the Tank Hill area. Our crews are monitoring and assessing these conditions and there is also no estimated time of opening for Highway 1. Highway 8 is closed between Merritt and Spence's Bridge due to flooding and washouts. Staff are on scene doing everything that we can to monitor and assess, but there is significant water and high water levels at this time. Along Highway 99, we've had some mudslides west of Lillowette. So our contractor did respond immediately and managed to get a lane open to clear the traffic that was trapped between two slides. And at this time, there's still no estimated time of opening, but assessments are ongoing at that site. Highway 12 is closed south of Lillowette between Lillowette and Lytton due to a debris flow. Crews are on scene and assessments are underway. And Highway 3 at Princeton remains closed due to flooding. Once water recedes at that location, we'll be doing an assessment. In the last 45 minutes, we've received word that there has been some mud on the road on the trans-Canada near the enchanted forest, which is west of Revelstoke. Crews are on site assessing at this time. The highway remains open, but please continue to monitor Drive BC as it could close with limited notice. And just wanted to, again, remind motorists to avoid travel unless absolutely necessary, until the storm subsides and conditions stabilize. And we want to encourage motorists who must travel to watch for pooling water, have a full tank of gas, their emergency kit with them, including food and water, drive with lights on, and continue to monitor overhead signs in Drive BC. We're also expecting some winter weather conditions to follow this storm through the southern interior, so it's critical that all motorists do their part and ensure they have winter tires slow down and drive to conditions if they must travel to help us keep the remaining corridors open. Our teams continue to be full out assessing damage and deploying materials and equipment to begin responding to these incidents as soon as it's safe to do so. Thank you very much, and we'll go back to Armal Castellan with Environment and Climate Change Canada before we go to questions. Armal, please go ahead. Thank you very much. I just wanted to add one other thing, and Paula kind of mentioned it. The conditions are going to be very interesting in the sense that on the highways, the freezing levels are going to drop. So even if you're not dealing with snow because you're not dealing with precipitation anymore, we're dealing with something like a flash-free freeze warning, but not quite at that level, but still I believe there will be some localized freezing of the water that is fallen. So just to be extra careful of those conditions as the overnight temperatures cool, and that's true for tonight as well as tomorrow night as the freezing levels drop. Thank you very much, and that concludes this afternoon's operational updates. A reminder to media on the line, please press star one to enter the queue. You will be limited to one question and one follow-up. Our first question goes to Richard Zussman, Global News. I think this is for Minister Farnworth. There have been reports that there have been cars swept off the road. There are worries that people have died. Have there been any reports of fatalities? What is being said to people who cannot connect with loved ones? What are they supposed to do here? Is there any updates on, again, we've seen more pictures of the structure destroyed near the Coca-Cola? How significant is that structure damage, and is there any estimate at all about how long that may take to fix? Starting with your first question, we have not had confirmation of any fatalities at this point, and so that's all the information that I have available right now. In terms for people who are trapped by the slides, obviously this is a very harrowing time, and I can only just imagine family members and loved ones, but what I can tell you is that everybody is working as hard and as fast and as quickly and as safely as they can. We've already seen with some of the slide areas where people have been trapped in the Pemberton area, for example, everybody has been rescued from that. Helicopters have been working all day on the slide on Highway 7, where people have been trapped, that we talked about this morning. They are working very hard on that to get people out. The Hague slide has been mentioned. Crews are working very hard on that, and as soon as the de-energization takes place by BC Hydro, the expectation is to have that open this evening so that people are able to get out. But I think the message is this, everybody is doing everything they can, and as quickly as they can, and as safely as they can, to get people and vehicles out from the slide areas. Richard, do you have a follow-up? Yeah, Minister, this is for you, and I know your head has been in this all day, but we're working on a separate story around the police transition in Surrey. I'm sure you're aware there's a petition there that's been submitted now, or 42,000 residents have signed it. It did not qualify for an automatic referendum, but the argument being made is enough people just in that region have signed it. Would the province consider having a referendum for the city of Surrey around the change in the police force? First off, that referendum is now going to elections BC for them to do their work, their certification that they have to do, and so obviously we'll see what they have to say. But as I said all along and right from the beginning of this process, this was a municipal decision. Policing is a municipal responsibility. They voted unanimously to terminate the contract with the RCMP, and the transition has been underway, and that's where things are right now. I understand, you know, that petition drive has been underway. That's now before elections BC. Next question goes to Penny Dauflos, CTV. Penny, please go ahead. Hi there, thanks very much. I just want to, the sections of the Coca-Cola look like they've been completely wiped out. I'm just wondering is there any hope of the Coca-Cola opening, because it looks like whether the Coca-Cola or other highways, there's significant damage. So should people be prepared for several days, or even longer for these major arteries to be shut down? Certainly the assessment is underway, the geotechnical assessment as I said earlier today, and has been mentioned already in today's briefing, that there have been aircraft out doing looking at exactly the state of the damage, and we need to get the technical reports back from the crews doing that assessment. In some cases it may be as simple as removing debris and ensuring the roads is good for vehicle traffic to go through again. Those areas may be able to be opened relatively quickly. In the case of the Coca-Cola, I have not seen a detailed report on that, but from what I have heard is that there does appear to be a significant issue on one side of the highway, and obviously we're going to have to wait for the full technical and geotechnical reports on that before we're able to say, look, it's going to be open in X amount of days or X amount of weeks. We really need that information to be able to make those kinds of assessments. Penny, do you have a follow-up? I do. In terms of the evacuees for people from Princeton and Merritt, it looks like some homes have been completely destroyed, and I'm just wondering what supports are in place? Do you have plans so that these people, I understand many of them have somewhere to stay for tonight, but in the coming days and even longer, what is the plan for them, and what would you like to say to them this afternoon? So emergency support services have been up and are up and running. There are 20 emergency support centres have been opened around the province, Camloops and Kelowna being the main ones. There will be the supports available to people to help them through this time. They will be working through with EMBC to ensure that they are able to access accommodation. Obviously the first choice is always with family and friends, but if that's not available then we'll be making sure that there is accommodation available to them in one of those evacuation centres. And as I said, Camloops and Kelowna are the two main ones right now. Next question goes to Jodi Greenwald, Fraser Valley Current. Jodi, please go ahead. Yes, this is for Minister Farnworth and sorry if this has been asked already. The connection was a little bit choppy, but can you comment on the likelihood of highway 1 between Chilliwack and Abbotsford reopening? So work is obviously underway on all of these areas to determine exactly the nature of any damage or blockage, as I said, in the case of a debris, it may be as simple as moving the debris and ensuring that the road is safe. It may be in other areas that there needs to be additional work done, but the bottom line is this, those technical assessments are being done and the Ministry of Transportation Highways are working as hard as they can to get roads open as quickly and safely as possible. Jodi, do you have a follow-up? Yes, earlier you mentioned that the local governments are responsible for issuing evacuation alerts. Can you explain exactly what the province's role is in responding to a natural disaster? Well, the province works with local government to ensure that they are supported with what they need. So an emergency starts at that local level because it's at that community level that knows where the issues are and what needs to be done. So they do that assessment and they've got, you know, their crews, for example, if it's flooding, you know, they've been out all weekend dealing with issues in their local communities. They alert the province that they're putting in place a state of local emergency. Then if they need to upgrade it to a state of an evacuation order, they will do that. The province supports them in doing that. And we put in place, so the emergency support service centers and the evacuation centers, all of those things that EMBC is responsible for are implemented. Next question goes to Parmeet Kamra, Red FM. Parmeet, please go ahead. Hi, thank you for taking my question. Actually, we received many calls and according to them, many people are stuck in many areas. They have no food and they are waiting for their help. What is your response to this situation? Although alert is there, but still no help is there. So any comment on that? As I've said, emergency crews have been working, you know, since early, early this morning, one or two o'clock, they were called out once the scope of the people trapped between the slides is in place. They have been working to get people rescued. There have been technical experts on the ground in terms of how to access that. Helicopters have been in, search and rescue have been in. As I said earlier, people are being evacuated and as quickly as possible and as safely as possible. So all of that is underway. As I said, in the case of Princeton, for example, everybody has been evacuated from the slide there in the Highway 7. That's been ongoing all day using helicopters. And in the Hague slide, the expectation is that the equipment is there to be able to remove the debris so that people are able to evacuate that area. Parmeet, do you have a follow-up? Yes, I do. Actually, the situation is mostly concentrated in southern B.C. But is there any weather warning or something else which is actually applicable to other parts of B.C. regarding lower mainland or some other area where people should be prepared? Well, obviously, whenever there's a storm, people should always be prepared at whatever time of year it is for weather events. But this event has impacted very much southwestern British Columbia and the parts of the central parts of B.C., the Simil Kameen, Pemberton, Princeton area, and Merritt. So that's where the focus has been. For the next question, we go to Bell Peary, CBC. Hi, Minister. We heard from one of your colleagues that we've had what, a month's worth of rain in 48 hours. What can you tell us about consideration by management officials to use the direct-to-cell phone alerting system to warn the public when the conditions started to deteriorate? As we said, the alert BC system is something that we have been working on. It is in place for tsunamis. We have already publicly said it is our intention to have it in place for next season's fire season, starting in the central part of the province. It is one tool. It is not a silver bullet. It is an important tool. And as I said, we intend to have it implemented. And that's why we're working with local governments and First Nations on how to best implement it, because many communities already have existing alert systems in place. And we want to be able to avoid duplication and ensure this compatibility. On top of that, there are the alerting systems that are already used by local governments, by police, by the province as well. And all of those play a role in the warning of people in terms of a potential disaster or what to do in case of an emergency. Bell, do you have a follow-up? Yes, please. The Prime Minister on social media today indicated that his government's prepared to help out wherever they can. Has the government been in contact with federal government? And how might they be able to help? And if there's anyone there who can answer either of these questions in French, that would be awesome. I can tell you that I have been in contact with my federal counterpart, Bill Blair, the Minister of Emergency Management. And as you said, we've got the Chinook helicopters that have been assisting in terms of evacuations. And so anything we need, we have available to us. Unfortunately, Bell, no French speakers online. My French is very fractured. I could try, but I don't think it would be quite the quality that you're looking for. All right. And with that, that was actually our final question. Thank you, everybody, for participating. That concludes this afternoon's update. Thank you, everyone. Have a great rest of your day.