The heavy rain experienced on Friday, January 31, 2020 and through the night has caused significant flooding to the Englishman and Nanaimo Rivers. In particular, for residents of the Wilkinson, Riverside, Alice and Raines Road areas near the Nanaimo River and Martindale and Plummer Roads near the Englishman River. Road closures may be in effect, please obey signage and do not attempt to drive on or cross closed roads.
Residents there are encouraged to have their personal recovery plans in place. It may be safer to shelter in place rather than try to evacuate. Shelter in place instructions can be found at rdn.bc.ca/shelter-in-place-instructions.
After this extended period of rain, soil is saturated and many local watercourses contain debris and are running extremely quickly. People should be cautious around slopes and leaning trees, and keep children and pets well away from the water.
Information on flooding, personal preparedness, evacuation procedures and Emergency Support Services is available at rdn.bc.ca/emergency-program. For safety reasons, please do not drive or cross through standing water.
Know who to contact:
- Downed power lines – call 911
- Emergency assistance – call 911
- Road conditions or to report a concern on Mid-Island Highways or RDN electoral roads - call Mainroad Mid Island Contracting at 1-877-215-6006
Visit www.drivebc.ca or follow them on Twitter at @DriveBC_V1 for Vancouver Island Highways updates.