The Flood That Could Have Been Prevented: How Institutions Fail Communities in the Face of Climate Change

In November 2021, British Columbia’s Fraser Valley experienced a disaster that, as experts had long anticipated, was more a failure of preparation than a surprise. A powerful atmospheric river—a concentrated corridor of moisture—brought intense rainfall, triggering severe floods, landslides, and the collapse of critical infrastructure. While climate change has undoubtedly intensified the frequency and severity of such extreme weather events, this was far from a mere “natural disaster.” The real tragedy lay in the institutional barriers that left communities exposed and underprepared despite years of clear and consistent warnings.