More than 100 people were forced from their homes and three neighbourhoods in the Parksville-Qualicum Beach area were under flood evacuation orders after a day that saw residents airlifted to safety amid rising flood waters.
As the Englishman River rose rapidly, Arrowsmith Search and Rescue helped to bring 14 people to safety on Monday via boat and helicopter from Pathfinder Camp Resorts in Parksville, which can accommodate up to 128 recreational vehicles.
“The low-lying area is near a corner of the river and it floods regularly,” said Nick Rivers, search manager for Arrowsmith Search and Rescue. “We have done evacuations in this area every year for the last 35 years.”
He said the group employs flood watchers whenever there is a forecast of heavy rains in the area. “The river can literally change within minutes,” he said.
Danielle Marion, who works at the Riverbend Cottage and RV Resort, noticed a man packing up his RV at 9 a.m. Monday.
“The campsite was flooded not even an hour later,” said Marion, who watched some of the evacuation from higher ground. “People who don’t live here don’t realize how fast the Englishman River can rise.”
The Dashwood Volunteer Fire Department was kept busy Monday knocking on doors of close to 200 residences, which included trailers, apartments and houses close to the Little Qualicum River. They moved an estimated 100 people, nine of whom had mobility issues. One evacuee had a seizure during the evacuation.
“Perhaps the most iconic rescue was performed by a firefighter who piggybacked an elderly person on his back,” said Nick Acciadatti, fire chief of the Dashwood Volunteer Fire Department. “Everything else went off without a hitch.”
Acciadatti said while this was a major event, he remembers a flood that took place in the late 1980s that was similar. In that instance, the waters washed over the highway after overflowing the estuary. He said the river experiences a major flood once every five years.
The Regional District of Nanaimo said 105 people were displaced and given accommodation at local hotels for 72 hours.
The district issued evacuation orders for three areas near the Englishman River, Little Qualicum River and the Nanaimo River on Monday. After an assessment of the affected areas on Tuesday, it rescinded the orders for Little Qualicum River and the Nanaimo River.
“We are moving into an era of increasing climate change where severe weather may become more frequent and more severe,” said Tyler Brown, chair of the Regional District of Nanaimo. “Despite our best efforts to mitigate the effects of flooding over the years, some sites, due to their elevation, continue to be prone to flooding.”
