One woman in the Lower Mainland whose home was flooded during the recent atmospheric river said she’s trying to determine her family’s next steps but feels as if she and her family have been forgotten during this devastating time.
Shelby Cyr and her husband were glued to the weather updates Saturday as the rain poured down in the Lower Mainland, including the Township of Langley.
It was at around 5 pm that the couple noticed water pooling in their storage shed, which Cyr said had never risen as high as it did this weekend.
“So we very quickly went in the house and started trying to get everything onto high ground and save what we could,” she said. “Within half an hour, the water in my house was ankle-deep.”
By 8:30, the water was at her knees, and by 9:30, Cyr said the water was waist-deep.
Cyr rents a basement in Aldergrove, near 56th Street and 264th Avenue, with her husband and four-year-old daughter.
“We had family come and help and bring a trailer and just try to get us … through it,” she explained.
After trying to save as much as possible from the flooding, Cyr said her family decided to leave their basement as it was getting dark and unsafe.
“We had to shut the electricity off because, obviously, the outlets were underwater at that point,” she added.
Cyr and her husband returned to their home Sunday morning to see that the water had risen. In sections of her property, she said the water was chest-deep.
“We saved what we could … but obviously furniture and things like that got completely destroyed,” she said, adding she could even see her fridge floating.
“It was insane,” she said.
Despite living in the Township for more than 20 years, Cyr said, “I’ve never experienced anything like this, and it was terrifying.”
“I’m still in a bit of shock,” she added. “I’ve seen nothing that compares to what I witnessed this weekend.”
While their property has flooded before, Cyr said the water would only rise a few inches (about ankle-deep) outside because of the creek that runs through their property.
While she is grateful her husband was able to save the childhood photo albums and pictures off the wall, Cyr said, “To be completely honest, the thing with the most sentimental value is my home.”
“That’s where we brought my daughter home after she was born, and that’s where all of my pictures are of her as a baby,” Cyr cried. “That’s the worst part.”
The family of three is now living with Cyr’s in-laws and is unsure when they will be able to return home.
What has been especially hard at this time is that her young daughter still hasn’t understood that they can’t go home, Cyr said.
“Everything happened so fast. And to be completely honest, the thing that still makes me quite emotional is seeing my daughter’s room underwater,” she told Daily Hive.
The 38-year-old admitted she does not know if she has the words to explain to her daughter what they are experiencing and said her daughter’s curiosity is like “reliving” the flood every day.
“It’s very hard,” she said.
She added that while her belongings could be replaced, she was thankful no one was injured. “It does make you a little bit sad to lose things that you’ve spent your whole life building up.”
According to Cyr, the landlord who lives on the second floor did not experience any damage to his living area.
Cyr said she reached out to her insurance adjuster but has not heard back about next steps.
“There’s so much that’s now up in the air,” she said.
If the insurance does not come through, Cyr expects the damage to cost thousands, and she worries that the longer her family does not have a home, the more expensive it will be.
A GoFundMe has been set up by a family member for the Cyr family to help with the cost of temporary housing, replacing essential items lost in the flood, and other unforeseen expenses.
A plea for accessible disaster relief
While she’s seen Township staff and politicians visit the area, Cyr feels as if Aldergrove has been forgotten among all the other Lower Mainland areas impacted by the devastating weather event.
“The focus is so much on North Vancouver and the residents out there,” she said.
While she admits it is “absolutely devastating” what people in the North Shore have experienced, she feels as if people in communities like hers have forgotten and received little to no relief or help.
“Everyone just kind of forgets about the little guy,” she said.
“It doesn’t feel very good to know that everyone else is getting help, and they’ve forgotten about you.”
Cyr added that she reached out to the Canadian Red Cross for food and shelter, but it was not able to offer relief.
“I think that disaster relief should be more readily available,” Cyr demanded. “I’m completely out of a house. I’m lucky in the short term to have somewhere to stay, but it’s not realistic for the three of us living in one tiny bedroom.”
“There’s just no support, there’s no help unless you’ve been on the news, and there’s this giant area that’s affected; they don’t really care to help you.”
Cyr’s home is in a rural area among neighbouring farms. According to Cyr, the rain storm has deeply impacted people around her community.
In a statement, the Township of Langley said the record-breaking rainfall amounts had caused flooding in many areas of the Township, “including areas that might not normally get flooding.”
The Township does not have specific information on damaged homes or private property but said it understands that there are some low-lying homes that were impacted by flooding.
It said, fortunately, no injuries have been reported to the Township.
“Township staff have cleared most of the flooded roadways and debris,” it added.
“We are working to reduce any remaining high-water levels on public roadways and infrastructure, although much of it has since receded.”