It has been one year since the first in a series of powerful atmospheric rivers pounded southwestern B.C., killing five people and triggering floods and mudslides that knocked out multiple critical highways.

The storm left the Lower Mainland essentially cut off from the rest of the province, with major damage to Highway 5, Highway 8, Highway 1 and blockages on Highway 99 and Highway 3.

“The scale of the damage was massive. Getting Highway 5 up and running within 35 days of course was a tremendous achievement and I think nobody expected that before Christmas of last year,” Transportation Minister Rob Fleming said.

Fleming told Global News the cost of transforming temporary repairs into permanent highway upgrades will likely exceed $1 billion. Part of that cost will ensure that the new permanent highways are adapted to climate change and the extreme weather anticipated to come with it.

For more info, please go to https://globalnews.ca/tag/bc-flooding/

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