After a major storm cut road and rail links in the Canadian western province of British Columbia region, a state of emergency have been declared.
The Canadian Armed Forces have been deployed to help thousands of stranded residents who have been trapped since the storm hit overnight on Sunday.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau pledged assistance during a visit to Washington DC and said troops would help rebuild.
A woman was killed in a landslide, and two people are missing. Officials expect more fatalities to be confirmed in the coming days. One man caught up in the storm told the BBC the scenes afterwards were like “Armageddon”.
Thousands of farm animals have died and many more remain trapped by the flood waters after the storm passed through one of Canada’s most agriculturally intensive areas.
Some 20,000 people are yet to return to their homes after an “atmospheric river” – a long strip of moisture in the air that transports water from tropical areas towards the poles – dumped the region’s monthly rainfall average in 24 hours.
British Columbia Premier John Horgan announced the two-week emergency order on Wednesday, in order to keep people off flooded roads and expedite rescues.
Helicopters on Wednesday dropped food supplies to stranded mountain communities after slides destroyed roads and floods submerged major highways.
The town of Tulameen has about 400 people trapped there, according to Reuters news agency.
Approximately 1,500 travellers became stranded in the town of Hope after roads closed, Grace Baptist Church Pastor Jeff Kuhn told BBC News in an email on Wednesday.
Some highways have reopened, including Highway 7, connecting Hope to Vancouver. More rain is forecast for Thursday. (BBC)
