New flyover footage of Merritt shows complete erasure of Highway 8 (VIDEO)

Flooding in BC has affected infrastructure across the province and one highway into Merritt is now barely visible.

On Friday, November 19, helicopter pilot Bradley Friesen posted a video showing the extent of the recent flood damage on Highway 8, also called the Nicola Highway.

It runs along the Nicola River, which overflowed its banks during an atmospheric river event that brought near-historic levels of rain to the province. The nearby City of Merritt is under evacuation order due to flooding.

In the video, a speaker in the helicopter walks you through what they see on the ground. “But this is all the road here…it’s gone. Not gone in one place, it’s gone in all the places. This huge section of road here is all gone,” they said.

According to Drive BC, 46.3 km of Highway 8 is washed out between the start of Highway 8 and Petit Creek Road. An assessment of the highway is in progress and there’s no telling when it will reopen again.

Watch the video now to see how the river swallowed up parts of the highway:

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Highway 8 is BC’s interior is gone… like, no longer exists. #merritt #BritishColumbia #bcflood #bcfloods pic.twitter.com/GKkuqDTuVi

— Bradley Friesen (@BradleyFriesen) November 20, 2021

In his Instagram post, Bradley Friesen wrote: “The devastation is enormous. I love the fact that despite losing everything, they still left their doors unlocked and placed a sign inviting anyone who needed shelter to welcome them inside their home. It tells you a lot.”

Friesen says that the animals in Merritt need help. “All the hay in these valleys was washed away. Barns, pens, feed is gone,” he said.

Friesen’s Instagram bio is full of Go Fund Me links to help those affected including Chivers Family Farm and Monkey In The Garden.

“These are real and they really need help. I’ve been there, I’ve seen it with my own eyes and filmed it.”

You can help support the BC communities affected by flooding by donating now.