Washout shuts down section of Cowichan Valley Trail indefinitely

Floods wreak havoc on Vancouver Island The Cowichan Valley Regional District on Vancouver Island declared a state of emergency Saturday after widespread flooding struck the area.

VICTORIA — Recent storms and record-breaking amounts of rain have forced a section of the Cowichan Valley Trail to be closed indefinitely due to a washout.

According to the B.C. Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure, a section of the trail between Holt Creek Trestle and 64.4 Mile Trestle will be closed until further notice due to unsafe conditions.

The ministry says that provincial staff will assess the area soon to determine the extent of the damage, and will make repairs to reopen when it is safe to do so.

The province adds that fencing and signs will be installed near the impacted areas so trail users know to avoid the stretch of trail.

"The Cowichan Valley experienced more than 440 millimetres of rainfall in January 2020, which is over 225% of the climate normal," said the ministry in a news release Friday. "A significant portion of that rainfall occurred within a 36-hour period."

Last weekend, heavy rains caused flooding across many areas of the Cowichan Valley Regional District (CVRD), prompting the region to declare a local state of emergency and call for a number of evacuations.

On Thursday, the state of emergency was extended as work continued to support residents who were affected by the flooding. The CVRD says that its emergency operations centre remains open to those who may need it and encourages anyone who needs support to contact the CVRD Public Safety division at 250-746-2560.

Meanwhile, the provincial government is accepting applications for victims of the flooding who have suffered property-related losses that are not covered by insurance. Applications for financial assistance can be submitted online here.