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A state of emergency has been declared in the Canadian province of British Columbia, which has been hit by torrential rain, floods and land slides. Roads have been washed away, several mountain towns are cut off, and there's no access to Canada's biggest port, Vancouver. At least one person has died - but officials say they expect the number of fatalities to rise.

The government announced the air force will be sent to assist in the evacuation of people and help with supply lines of essential goods and services as rail and road transport has also been disrupted.

Farmer Holger Schwichtenberg, chair of the British Columbia Dairy Association, has been watching the devastation unfold as farmers struggle to rescue their animals following an evacuation order. He told Newsday that while the going is tough, those unaffected farms - or those less affected than others - are doing their best to help others out.

(Picture: Flooded area in British Columbia; Credit: Reuters)