One confirmed dead in B.C. mudslide after province's 'worst weather storm in a century'

CTV National News: Merritt devastation Residents of Merritt, B.C., return to see first-hand the devastation left by massive flooding. CTV’s Omar Sachedina reports.

One person has been confirmed dead while others are reported missing after a mudslide on a British Columbia highway, officials say.

B.C. RCMP said in a statement Tuesday a woman's body was recovered from the scene of the slide on Highway 99 between Pemberton and Lillooet.

The woman's identity was not revealed, but the RCMP said she resided in the province's Lower Mainland.

At least two people have been reported missing, and other occupied vehicles may have been caught up in the slide, which was located about nine kilometres north of Pemberton, according to the RCMP.

The highway is still closed between Lil'wat Place and Seton Lake Road. Initial reports suggested about 50 vehicles were trapped, some of which may have been carried away.

'WORST WEATHER STORM IN A CENTURY'

Meanwhile, hundreds of people had to be rescued by helicopter across B.C. after being trapped following two days of rain that resulted in rivers of mud and rock flowing across roadways.

The province's Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure Rob Fleming called the "unprecedented" weather event "the worst weather storm in a century" at a news conference on Tuesday.

He said although the damage is significant in some spots, crews are already preparing for the work that will get B.C.'s supply chain moving again.

"This is our number one priority, getting our roadways back up and in operation, and we will provide whatever resources are necessary to make that happen," Fleming said.

'CATASTROPHIC' FLOODING EXPECTED IN ABBOTSFORD

Officials in Abbotsford, B.C., have issued an urgent warning to residents under an evacuation order in the Sumas Prairie region that "catastrophic" flooding is expected in the area.

Those residents must leave the area immediately before conditions worsen, the city said at 7:30 p.m.

SUPPLY CHAIN WOES

The washing out of rail lines and the closure of transportation routes is just the latest blow to the province's supply chain, which may have an impact on the rest of the country.

"Even before the storm, supply chains globally have been under stress from before COVID-19," Johnny Rungtusanatham, Canada Research Chair in supply management at York University's Schulich School of Business, told CTVNews.ca on Tuesday. "COVID-19 just sort of exposed the fragility of global supply chains."

B.C. officials will have to assess the safety of roads and rail lines as well as how to prioritize the goods coming in through the Port of Vancouver waiting to be transported to the rest of Canada, according to Rungtusanatham.

"I expect that the delays that we have been talking about even before the storm might actually get a little worse," he said. "If the delays translate into somebody else basically paying for goods not moving, you know, then this cost may be further passed on to consumers."

DEFYING EVACUATION ORDERS OVER LOOTING FEARS

Dozens of residents of Merritt, B.C., have defied orders to evacuate the city over fears of looting, even as floodwaters filled the streets with sewage-contaminated water and caused a bridge to collapse.

"More than half the town's gone, it seems like an open door to come take what you want," Darsell Poittris, who stayed up half the night watching out for looters, told CTV News.

"Every [accommodation] we called was sold out, so where do you go? I'd rather be in my house having these issues and in my car with my animals and my kids."

B.C. RCMP told CTV News authorities haven't received any reports of looting.

Officials are pleading with residents to leave Merritt due to safety concerns after the local sewage treatment plant failed, contaminating floodwaters and making tap water unsafe to drink, and a bridge on the south side of the city collapsed overnight Monday.

One family apparently had to be rescued by helicopter Tuesday from the roof of their home. North Shore Rescue, a volunteer search and rescue team, said in an Instagram post they retrieved a family of three and their dog from a house surrounded by water.

COVID-19 TRAVEL RULES WAIVED

Some of the border restrictions brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic will be waved to help Canadians stranded by the flooding in B.C. get home.

The Canada Border Services Agency confirmed to CTV News that those who can't access the rest of the country through highways currently closed without an estimated time of reopening will be able to bypass some of the steps typically required to re-enter Canada after crossing the U.S. border.

Specifically, they're exempt from the COVID-19 pre-arrival test and the follow-up test in Canada, as well as quarantine requirements

VANCOUVER BRIDGE REOPENS

The City of Vancouver reopened the Burrard Street Bridge after it was closed Monday night due to concerns about a huge barge that ran aground nearby.

The barge apparently broke free from its moorings during a powerful windstorm that followed the torrential rains that lashed southern B.C. between Saturday and Monday night.

It was seen floating near the city's seawall Monday afternoon before eventually running aground at Sunset Beach. Officials closed the bridge over concerns it could come loose once again.

An attempt was made to tow the barge away Tuesday afternoon, but it was unsuccessful. An engineer with the city told CTV News he estimated up to six tugboats would be required to pull the barge off the rocks.

ROAD CLOSURES CONTINUE

While some roads have reopened, many remain closed as a result of flooding and mudslides Tuesday as rescue efforts continue to reach those still stuck in their vehicles. A number of road alerts remain in affect, including those for parts of Highways 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 11, 12, 14 and 99, due to flooding and mudslides.

POWER BEING RESTORED

Hydro crews have made progress restoring power to most homes that were left without it due to the storm. About 2,230 homes were still experiencing outages in the Lower Mainland and on Vancouver Island as of 5:30 p.m. PST, and 2,800 customers in the Interior.

With files from CTV News's Kendra Mangione, Christy Somos, Penny Daflos, Alyse Kotyk, Alissa Thibault and Andrew Weichel, and The Canadian Press