DAWSON CREEK — When Mike Broadway saw a car precariously perched on the side of the 8th Street culvert in Dawson Creek early this morning – with three people trapped inside – he knew he had to help.
“They had tried to drive through the water. I drove around the corner and there was the car sitting there,” said Broadway, whose job is to help restore power to homes, and was getting plenty of calls last night as the flood progressed.
“I learned there were people in there, and figured I better go and help. The water was coming over, it was probably 16 inches or so…it wasn’t good by any means.”
READ MORE: Waters recede in Dawson Creek after serious flooding splits city into two
Broadway used his truck to help block the flow of water, and then helped rescue the three people inside – including an 85-year-old woman.
“I heard the lady, she hollered at me to please do something. I stopped the car, told them I was going to get them out of there, made a plan…opened the doors, and then kind of bear hugged the one elderly lady, and hauled her out to my pickup,” said Broadway.
The car remained tipped on the side of Eighth street, at the edge of what had become a waterfall, for several hours, before it was towed away.
“Dawson’s always been good to pull together”
It was one of many close calls in Dawson Creek on Thursday, as the town was battered by flooding, but managed to avoid tragedy.
“This is unbelievable,” said Colleen Suhai, who has lived in Dawson Creek since 1974.
Suhai said there have been many floods in Dawson Creek over the decades, and most have been caused by the 8th Street culvert clogging up, causing the creek to rapidly rise and flood the other culverts further west in town.
“Once the culverts can’t handle it there, everything backs up,” she said.
“I could be standing here yelling and screaming, but what good is it going to do?”
It caused the complete destruction of the 15th Street culvert, as well as heavy damage to the 10th and 17th Street culverts. A section of Rolla Road to the east of the city was also destroyed.
But the 10th and 17th Street culverts will be assessed on Friday, and the city is hopeful they can be salvaged. And while 80 people were forced to evacuate their homes, and schools have been closed for the rest of the week, no structures have been completely destroyed, said Dawson Creek fire Chief Shorty Smith.
Indeed, after over 120 millimetres of rain, and the town essentially divided in two for much of Thursday, it appears the worst is over.
“We didn’t have anything of significance that we felt we need to declare a state of emergency … We’re happy with how the community and residents responded,” said Dawson Creek Mayor Dale Bumstead..
For his part, Broadway credits the attitude of the people of Dawson Creek for making the best of what could have been an awful situation.
“Dawson’s always been good to pull together. Talking to folks, the common consensus is people wish you can do more,” he said.
“It’s the attitude that got people through today.”
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