Flash floods in Western Canada cause rising tides and tempers
Pastor Dale Morgan
Flash floods in Western Canada cause rising tides and tempers*
Updated: Tue Jun. 10 2008 07:07:13
VANCOUVER BC CANADA - As a torrential downpour hammered downtown
Vancouver Monday, water pooled along Marine Drive in White Rock,
damaging at least one home and causing many to panic.
"Within a couple of minutes the cars were close to being flooded so we
jumped in our cars and had to move them to the other side," said
resident Pete Kalius.
"There was a flood of calls that came in over about a 20 minute period,"
said White Rock RCMP Constable Janelle Canning. "Our phone lines were
jammed."
Residents say the flooding was fast and furious.
"I mean the grass and everything was covered," said Rosemarie Nakamura.
"The rain was right up to my doorstep."
Many people are tired of living in fear every time it rains, and feel
the city should do something about the problem.
"The city has sort of dumped it on residents," said long time resident
Regan Mulligan. "They claim that we built on a flood plane and that it's
our responsibility."
But the city says it has improved conditions since a 1999 flood wrecked
havoc on White Rock, causing millions of dollars in damage to area homes
and businesses.
"The city has invested a significant amount of money in various drainage
upgrades in and around this area," says David Pollack.
But Regan Mulligan still remembers the devastation of the floods nine
years ago.
"The drain was similar but we had a lot of hail beforehand," said
Mulligan. "It had blocked all the drains and so forth. And the same time
the creek overflowed down the street which made things that much worse."
Luckily, this flood drained in a matter of minutes. The city credits
recently installed0 drainage systems. The residents, however, thank
Mother Nature for taking it easy on them this time.
With files from CTV British Columbia's Reshmi Nair.