SOUND OFF: Again, NDP waits too long to take emergency action

In addition, it’s shocking to see the photos of the damaged Coquihalla Highway — sections of it completely washed away and a repair effort that could take weeks or even months. Store shelves are getting emptier, which is also a jarring sight. I urge everyone to stay calm, buy only what you need, and share what you can with the more vulnerable members of our community.

Also upsetting is the reality that the NDP government was once again caught unprepared for the atmospheric river event that caused this intense deluge of water. It’s not as if the warning signs weren’t there. Meteorologists and weather reporters were forecasting an incredible amount of rain, days before the worst of it. Dire weather forecasts of up to 150 millimetres of rain were clear on Friday.

Municipalities like the City of Abbotsford, which now finds a large swath of its community under water, issued a report a year ago warning of the danger that could come from an overflow of the Nooksack River in Washington State.

On the U.S. side of the border, Washington State had more than fifteen flood warnings in effect by Friday of last week, and officials were handing out sandbags for people to protect their homes. A flood warning was issued for the Nooksack River on Sunday at 3:40 p.m. On Monday, Governor Jay Inslee issued a severe weather emergency proclamation and implemented emergency procedures. The U.S. flood sirens from Sumas, Washington could be heard from Abbotsford, but there was silence from our government. I’ll also note Washington State was far better prepared and had far fewer fatalities from this summer’s deadly heat dome compared to B.C. Six hundred British Columbians died — five times the number that perished in Washington State.

And what about the emergency alert system? This government didn’t use it during the devastating forest fires of 2018. It didn’t use it during the 2021 heat dome. It didn’t bother with it during the 2021 wildfire season which destroyed much of the village of Lytton. And it hasn’t been employed in this current disaster where lives and livelihoods are once again at stake.

The reality is, this NDP government cannot lead or even learn from a crisis. Instead of learning from the tragic heat dome event, they blamed people for not checking the weather forecast. They only declared a State of Emergency during the wildfire season after being shamed into it through a public petition and pressure on social media. And in our current flood crisis, they waited days to declare a state of emergency — they couldn’t even be bothered to call an emergency cabinet meeting.

Virtually everyone agrees that British Columbia needs to be well-equipped and better prepared for what many are referring to as “the new normal.” It’s time for the NDP to get on board — not through words, but through real action.

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Editor’s Note: This opinion piece reflects the views of its author, and does not necessarily represent the views of CFJC Today or Pattison Media.

by Kamloops-South Thompson MLA Todd Stone

SOUND OFF: Again, NDP waits too long to take emergency action

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