Evacuation orders issued for Pemberton residents as rivers surge and roads, including Highway 99, are damaged

The Story

Flood waters covered a large area east of Pemberton on Thursday after heavy rain caused the Green, Lillooet and Birkenhead rivers to surge over their banks.

Chris Bajger and his wife were among dozens of households issued an evacuation order at 2 a.m., forcing them to try to save what they could in the dark.

Bajger said the water rose faster than he had seen before, going from ankle-deep to waist-deep in less than an hour.

Lil’wat Nation described the flooding as a 200-year event, coming after a challenging wildfire season.

Schools were closed and several roads in the area were shut after being washed out, including Highway 99, which suffered a major sinkhole.

Bajger said the damage appears widespread, adding that “Homes, farms, animals, everything has been devastated by this,” with homes and farmland under significant amounts of water.

He also said he and his wife have set up a fundraiser to help rebuild once residents are able to return.

Officials said the water is beginning to recede, but a forecast for more precipitation has locals preparing for additional rain events. A pilot, David Lewis, surveyed the situation from the air after saving his helicopter from rising water, and said, “There’s a couple more rain events in the forecast… We’re going to cross our fingers and get ready.”