From fires to floods: Merritt, B.C. evacuated for the second time in recent months

The MLA for the region hardest hit by the storm impacting southern B.C. says this scope of this kind of evacuation is breathtaking and traumatic for those who just went through this during the fires this summer.

During the summer, people in the city were on evacuation alert, but now, Jackie Tegart, MLA for the region, says 7,200 people have had to be upended again.

“It is a devastating day for Merritt.”

Talked to the MLA for Fraser Nicola – that includes @CityofMerritt – @tegart_jackie about the city going through yet another weather crisis and another evacuation… #bcstorm @bcpoli @CityNewsVAN pic.twitter.com/y5HaoK20Cn

— LizaYuzda (@LizaYuzda) November 15, 2021

Tegart says it’s hard to describe what an evacuation of a city looks like but emphasizes it creates an “incredible amount of trauma for people” as vulnerable people evacuate hospitals and senior homes.

“Anyone who’s even been on alert, understands what it’s like to live and put your most prized possessions in the trunk of your vehicle. So that if you have to leave, you’ve got what you need.”

In some ways, Tegart says she feels like flooding is worse than fires.

“Fires you can work hard to put them out. Flooding feels like there’s very little you can do but survive.”

Related Articles:

• Entire city of Merritt being evacuated due to flooding

• Merritt mayor says wildfires causing stress, amid evacuation alert

With most routes and surrounding bridges blocked or compromised, Tegart says it’s been an overwhelming sight.

Saying this community has faced one too many weather disasters, Tegart is calling on the province to find better ways of communicating with people in the region.

“I think social media channels are helpful to a lot of people who follow social media. But we have also have a segment of our population that isn’t accessible to them. They don’t have cell phone coverage, they don’t have the dollars to buy a cell phone, we need to really think about how we communicate. And as these events become more and more frequent, I think that … we need to reassess how we let the public know how serious this is.”

“This is a serious event. And government has a role to play, I believe, in making the seriousness of the event, very, very public … we need to think about with climate change the severity of the events that we’re seeing.”