Vancouver, B.C., is cut off by road, rail after ‘extraordinary’ storms

Vancouver, Canada’s third-largest city, is cut off from the rest of the country by land after days of storms caused flooding and mudslides that have blocked major highways and rail lines.

In response to what local officials are calling the storm of the century, British Columbia declared a state of emergency on Wednesday that will allow it, if necessary, to prohibit nonessential travel, hoarding of goods, and price gouging.

“These are extraordinary events not measured before, not contemplated before,” Premier John Horgan told reporters, saying that the volume of rain that fell on Merritt, a town of 7,000 people northeast of Vancouver, was three times the historical high.