Flood waters forced the evacuation of six people from their homes in Davis Bay last Saturday.
Sechelt fire chief Bill Higgs said his unit was called to the scene about 10 a.m. and found a number of people trapped in their homes when crashing waves and a high tide flooded the highway and beyond.
BC Hydro was contacted to shut off the hydro and the fire department used boats to rescue five people, all of them adults. Higgs said one elderly man could not be safely evacuated by boat, so a chair rescue was implemented. The gentleman was put into a sturdy chair that was hoisted by firefighters and carried over the water, Higgs said. Higgs said one couple refused to leave their home, adding that none of the rescued people were in immediate danger.
All but one family was able to return to their homes by noon on Sunday. One home sustained significant electrical damage, while the furnace was damaged in another. All the homes suffered water damage in basements and crawl spaces.
Higgs said that none of the homes had problems with sewage seeping indoors. Sgt. Gerry Webb said Sunshine Coast RCMP were called at about 9 a.m. with a report of logs and water on the road. Webb said police closed the highway at 9:30 and were then kept busy with crowd control. "There were lots of curious people and some concerns that they could be washed away with a wave," said Webb. Police remained at the scene for security purposes to protect the evacuated homes from vandalism and theft and remained throughout the night. Bill Elsner, emergency program co-ordinator for the Sunshine Coast Regional District, was on-site to support operations and co-ordinate the activities of the many personnel in attendance.
Elsner said the response from the District of Sechelt, Capilano Highway Services, BC Hydro, RCMP, Ministry of Transportation and Sechelt Fire Department was excellent. Elsner provided information to the displaced families about financial assistance available from the province on Saturday and met with them again on Monday. Elsner also arranged to have a pump delivered from Vancouver that was capable of pumping 1,500 gallons per minute.
Elsner is asking the public to remember to always call 911 in the event of an emergency. Calls from the trapped families were made to an after-hours telephone number as early as 8:30 a.m., but no response was forthcoming until 10. Elsner also said that this would not have made much difference as the floodwater was at its highest level at 8:50 a.m., but noted there was a definite delay in getting emergency assistance to the stranded people. Barbara Christie and Len Borysowich, personal disaster assistants with emergency social services, a part of the provincial emergency program (PEP), were also on scene.
They registered three families that had alternative accommodations, transported one of the families to temporary lodging and found lodging for the other evacuees. They also made arrangements for clothing and meals.
"In this community it is not difficult to make arrangements for people in need," Christie said.
Wendy Gilbertson, who owns a rental property that was flooded, said she has never seen this area flood before and feels very badly for her tenants.
The water rose to the top step of her home and the insulation is soaked through and will have to be replaced, she said. There are still some problems with telephone service. She said her neighbour's car was destroyed after being submerged in salt water. Gilbertson is unsure as to the total cost of damages to the house.
Eric Paris of Capilano Highway Services said their company increases patrols whenever there is a weather warning. In Davis Bay they attended to the pumps that were brought in.
On Saturday they also cleared debris from the highway and on Tuesday, were back at the scene to sweep the road and grade the shoulders of the road. Brian Johnson of BC Hydro reports that they disconnected hydro to the flooded homes. The only other major problem on the Coast during Saturday's storm was a downed tree on Garden Bay Road causing a power outage for five hours.
He added there were also some isolated outages throughout the Coast due to high winds.
