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Mission declares local state of emergency in the Benbow Street area in Hatzic

Evacuation order also announced for the same area.
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A local state of emergency and evacuation order for the Benbow Street area in Hatzic has been announced by the City of Mission. / Image provided by City of Mission

A local state of emergency and evacuation order for the Benbow Street area in Hatzic has been announced by the City of Mission.

The order was issued today (Nov. 16) following the extreme rainfall in the Fraser Valley that has resulted in localized flooding in areas of Mission.

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Mayor Paul Horn declared the local state of emergency noting it will remain in effect until Nov. 23, unless cancelled.

An evacuation order has also been issued to affected homes due to the high lake and groundwater levels. Crews have completed wellness checks and hand-delivered letters directly to the homes involved.

According to Mike Younie, the city’s Chief Administrative Officer, there are eight properties listed in the Order but more could be added depending on lake levels.

“Levels are still rising slowly at this point. Once the Fraser River gets a bit lower, the flap gates and pumps will be able to work together to get more water out of the lake,” Younie stated in an email to the Record.

No evacuation centre has been set up at this point as one is not required. Affected people are asked to self register online.

“We have rooms booked at the Best Western if needed,” said Younie.

Coupons for food and incidentals have been handed out to those that requested help he added

“Seeing the community of Mission come together in a time of need has been quite remarkable,” said Horn. “Emergency officials will continue to monitor water levels closely to ensure everyone’s safety and we thank them for their tremendous efforts during this time.”

Those affected on Benbow Street are asked to register with Mission Emergency Support Services at https://ess.gov.bc.ca.

Once registered they can contact 604-814-1296 between 8:30 a.m. and 6 p.m. for further instructions.

Horn asks that people respect all signage for road closures and do not attempt to pass barricades.

For up-to-date information on road closures, flooding, and more visit mission.ca/alerts.

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Kevin Mills

About the Author: Kevin Mills

I have been a member of the media for the past 34 years and became editor of the Mission Record in February of 2015.
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