4 ms·

I'm sorry your parents had to go through that, it sounds quite harrowing. I feel like this is equally evidence for incredible preparedness and flexibility thou

by ksdale 5y ago

I'm sorry your parents had to go through that, it sounds quite harrowing. I feel like this is equally evidence for incredible preparedness and flexibility though? The fact that such a major event was only scary for a week seems like a good thing? Even in a perfect world, there will be extreme weather events, and if people can't survive a week in their homes without outside help, that seems like the problem rather than evidence that we can't adapt to disaster. I assume your parents will be sure to stock up on certain essentials going forward.

vkou 5y ago
> The fact that such a major event was only scary for a week seems like a good thing? It was scary for a week because they were down to a single remaining point of failure (Abbotsford pumping station). If that station failed (which was quite possible, due to rising floodwaters), the Fraser river would have flooded the valley, and Highway 1 would have been... Gone. Not 'flooded for a week', but 'flooded permanently'. On the other side of the city, mudslides destroyed bridges on the Coquihalla highway - which will take at least 2 months to be made passable - and things won't be back to normal for another year. Had the pumping station failed, and the highway flooded, it's entirely unclear what anyone could have done in that situation to keep Chilliwack supplied over the next two months.
- jessaustin 5y ago
  In that event, would the town itself not have been threatened with flooding?
- lazide 5y ago
  Correct me if I’m wrong, but Canada has helicopters, a functional military, and Allies no? Certainly folks could be evacuated or supplied with essentials if it came to that. They did so as far away as Afghanistan. It would require some adjustment and dealing with adversity, but your comment makes it sound like everyone would starve to death and be found having eaten each other or something if the roads were out for a week.

by ksdale 5y ago

vkou 5y ago

> The fact that such a major event was only scary for a week seems like a good thing? It was scary for a week because they were down to a single remaining point of failure (Abbotsford pumping station). If that station failed (which was quite possible, due to rising floodwaters), the Fraser river would have flooded the valley, and Highway 1 would have been... Gone. Not 'flooded for a week', but 'flooded permanently'. On the other side of the city, mudslides destroyed bridges on the Coquihalla highway - which will take at least 2 months to be made passable - and things won't be back to normal for another year. Had the pumping station failed, and the highway flooded, it's entirely unclear what anyone could have done in that situation to keep Chilliwack supplied over the next two months.

jessaustin 5y ago
In that event, would the town itself not have been threatened with flooding?
lazide 5y ago
Correct me if I’m wrong, but Canada has helicopters, a functional military, and Allies no? Certainly folks could be evacuated or supplied with essentials if it came to that. They did so as far away as Afghanistan. It would require some adjustment and dealing with adversity, but your comment makes it sound like everyone would starve to death and be found having eaten each other or something if the roads were out for a week.