Abbotsford, British Columbia
In November 2021, British Columbia experienced a once-in-a-century atmospheric river storm that caused severe flooding, landslides, and mudslides across interior and coastal regions of the province.
The flooding led to the evacuation of approximately 18,000 people across the province, with extensive damage to homes, bridges, roads, including every major highway connecting the lower mainland to the rest of Canada, and widespread damage to the agricultural industry.
Today, the Honourable Bill Blair, President of the King's Privy Council for Canada and Minister of Emergency Preparedness, announced a second advanced payment of $556,955,880 to the Province of British Columbia through the Disaster Financial Assistance Arrangements (DFAA) program to assist with recovery costs associated with the 2021 storm. This payment brings the total amount of federal payments to the Province of British Columbia under the DFAA to over $1 billion for the November 2021 floods.
Eligible expenses under the DFAA include, but are not limited to, evacuation operations, restoring public works and infrastructure to their pre-disaster condition, as well as replacing or repairing basic, essential personal property of individuals, small businesses, and farmsteads.
The Government of Canada is committed to supporting Canadians and helping communities prepare for the realities of increased climate-related risks and disasters, while working to increase our resiliency.
