Landslide prompts evacuation order in Zeballos, B.C.

The Village of Zeballos on northwest Vancouver Island issued an evacuation order Friday for parts of the community after a landslide, telling residents in the affected area to leave immediately.

“The landslide is a risk to life and safety. Anyone in the affected area must evacuate NOW,” the order said, according to the Campbell River Mirror.

EmergencyInfoBC, the province’s emergency information site, lists the order as covering properties on Maquinna Avenue and Pandora Crescent. It also lists an evacuation alert, a lower level of warning that tells residents to be ready to leave, for properties on Ferris Road. The Campbell River Mirror and EmergencyInfoBC list slightly different Pandora Crescent address ranges, and no total number of affected properties has been published. Residents can check the full list through the Strathcona Regional District emergency page at SRD.ca/eoc.

The order was issued by the Village of Zeballos. The Strathcona Regional District, which has activated its emergency operations centre, said it is “actively monitoring flooding and potential landslide risks in the area,” CBC News reported. “We recognize that this is a concerning situation for the community,” the district said. “Public safety remains the priority, and we will continue to provide updates as more information becomes available.”

Evacuees are being asked to register with Emergency Support Services at the Zeballos Fire Hall, 155 Maquinna Ave., so family members can be reconnected. Online registration is also available. Residents who need help leaving the area can call 250-830-6702.

Officials told residents to shut off gas and electrical appliances, except refrigerators and freezers, and to close gates without locking them. They asked people to gather family, check on neighbours who may need help, take medication and other critical items only if they are immediately at hand, bring pets in kennels or on leashes, and use as few vehicles as possible. Residents were also asked to stay off the phone unless they need emergency services.

None of the sources reviewed describes what triggered the slide, how many people are affected, or whether anyone was hurt. They also do not give a timeline for lifting the order or say whether road access to the village is affected. The situation is developing, and details may change as local officials release more information.

Zeballos is a village of about 125 people on the northwest coast of Vancouver Island, CBC News reported. The community was hit by a rock slide and an evacuation order in 2018, and parts of it are under an evacuation order again.

The order comes during a stretch of wet weather in the province. Environment Canada has issued a rainfall warning for Metro Vancouver, as the Canada News Media reported in its story on the rainfall warning for Metro Vancouver. Earlier this year, the province also widened an evacuation area because of flooding and landslide risk, which Canada News Media covered in its story on how B.C. expanded an evacuation area due to flooding.

Via the Campbell River Mirror, EmergencyInfoBC and CBC News. File photo of the Vancouver Island coast by Alex Wolfe on Unsplash; it does not show the landslide.

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