Heavy rains on Friday and warmer temperatures during the week make parts of the interior and north of BC preparing for the worst, as river levels and the risk of flooding increase.
Heavy rains are expected to continue over the weekend and temperatures are expected to remain in adolescence.
Hundreds of properties in BC are on evacuation alert, which means residents should be prepared to leave at any time.
David Campbell, head of the BC River Forecast Center, says the extreme weather in 2021 has caused erosion and sediment buildup along riverbanks, making them more vulnerable to flooding now.
“Create another wildcard just to understand what the impacts of another high-flow event or flood may be,” he said.
About 18 homes in the villages of Coalmont and Tulameen, northwest of Princeton, south of the interior, where flooding nearly devastated the city last fall, are on evacuation alert.
“People living in these areas are used to the floods,” said Erick Thompson, communications coordinator for Okanagan-Similkameen Regional District.
“But it can create anxiety. And the way to get rid of some of that anxiety is to be prepared and know what to do, but also to monitor local sources of information, including the regional district, to find out what’s going on and stay up to date. “.
The risk of flooding in the spring is higher than usual in pic.twitter.com/dIL4UjpvuZ
– @ lanapopham
Sandbags ready
In North BC, Terrace Mayor Carol Leclerc said her city has prepared 3,000 bags of sand for each of the 33 properties on evacuation alert, and that a sand machine is now operational to continue making sandbags if necessary.
“Make sure you have your game plan ready,” said Leclerc, BC Today’s guest host Jodie Martinson, and advised residents to heed the evacuation alerts.
Other barriers are being installed to protect the sewage treatment plant, and Leclerc said volunteers are on duty for the weekend.
The yellow areas are under a high flow warning, and the orange areas are under flood surveillance on the afternoon of June 4th. (BC River Forecast Center)
Terrace has closed a popular park and boat launch, and a camping area and playground that are also at risk.
About 200 miles east of Terrace by Road, the Smithers community is also preparing for flooding.
“We are anticipating a significant increase in rainfall, which is part of the challenge we will face over the weekend. It may be extended to Monday,” Deputy Mayor Lorne Benson said Friday afternoon.
The River Forecast Center has issued a flood alert for the Bulkley River and surrounding tributaries north of BC. On Saturday afternoon, the center also issued a flood alert on the Skeena River.
“Skeena River levels are expected to continue to rise over the weekend and will rise further in response to additional rainfall,” the center said in a statement. “The biggest uncertainty is the exact location of the rains over the next few days, so there is a high degree of uncertainty as to whether the flows will reach the state of flooding.”
Several rivers and streams are also under flood monitoring in the southern interior.
Flood monitoring means that the river level is rising and approaching or could exceed the margin, and that areas adjacent to the river may also be flooded.
“The potential for loss of ownership is always a major concern, but people also need to be aware of the risk of being close to the river,” Benson said, noting that banks could become destabilized and floodplains flooded. they can spread quickly. .
“It’s a good idea for people to stay behind and wait for this event to happen.”
Campbell says he will monitor conditions for the next two to four weeks as he believes this is the “maximum time” to increase the risk of flooding.
“The concern for us is obviously a lot of uncertainty.”
LISTENING | BC Interior, north, are preparing ahead of the expected rainfall
BC Today50: 55North BC prepares for rising water level; Brian Minter shares his gardening tips
BC River Forecast Center has issued high-flow warnings in much of northern BC, triggering evacuation alerts in several small communities. We will hear from the Mayor of Terrace and the Deputy Mayor of Smithers about how their communities are preparing. And in our second half, Brian Minter of Minter Country Garden shares his gardening tips and tricks.