Ryan Reynolds donates to B.C. flood relief, invites others to do the same

Canadian actor Ryan Reynolds is speaking up about the devastation of recent flooding in his home province of British Columbia.

In posts to his Twitter and Facebook accounts on Friday, the Vancouver-born star said he and his wife, Blake Lively, have donated to the Canadian Red Cross’s B.C. flood relief fundraiser, and invited others to do the same.

“My home Province of BC continues to face a crisis from the brutal #BCFloods,” he wrote.

“Homes, farms, schools, roads and vulnerable communities. Rebuilding will take time.”

To date, the catastrophic atmospheric river that struck B.C. on Nov. 14 and 15 has killed five people and forced thousands from their homes.

Cars, houses and critical infrastructure were destroyed and more than 20,000 livestock died.

The province is bracing for two more atmospheric rivers, forecast by Environment Canada to strike between Friday and next Wednesday.

Many communities are still under evacuation orders and alerts, and crews are frantically repairing dikes, pumping out ditches and cleaning culverts to prepare.

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Heavy rain is expected to continue Saturday night into Sunday in areas such as the Fraser Valley, Metro Vancouver, Howe Sound, the Sunshine Coast and west Vancouver Island.

Some 60 millimetres could fall during that time over the southern sections, and up to 120 millimetres could fall near the mountains.