The British Columbia River Forecasting Center has issued high-flow warnings covering parts of the interior as warming weather causes melting snow and rising waters, while similar recommendations remain in place in much of northern British Columbia. which triggers evacuation signals in a number of small communities.
Recent recommendations cover the Nicholas River near Spence Bridge and the Coldwater River in Merritt, two communities affected by widespread flooding last fall.
Recommendations have also been issued for the Similkameen River, the Okanagan River and its tributaries around Osoyoos, Penticton, Kelowna and Vernon, as well as the Salmon River near Salmon Arm and rivers in the Kootenay-Boundary region.
The forecast center says a low-pressure system is expected to lead to unstable weather and moderate to heavy rainfall inside Friday.
It says current modeling shows the potential for large flows and possible flooding over the weekend, with some uncertainty about how much rain will fall.
In the northern BC, the high-flow warning has been upgraded to monitor flooding for the Bulkley River near Smithers, while notifications remain in effect for the Stickin, Skyne and Liard rivers and tributaries, which are expected to rise. this weekend.
The forecast prompted the British Columbia government to issue a statement urging residents to prepare for possible floods.
Emergency centers are activated
Due to the risk of flooding, the Kitimat-Stikine (RDKS) region of north-west British Columbia has activated its Emergency Operations Center (EOC) and issued evacuation signals for the small communities of Old Remo, New Remo, the Dutch Valley and Usk. along the river Skina.
The RDKS says a reception center has been set up at Thornhill Municipal Center, located at 3091 Century Street in Thornhill, if the evacuation signal is upgraded to order.
The City of Terrace has also activated its EOC and says manual sand collection stations are available to residents of Terrace and RDKS on Skeena Street, Graham Street, Braun’s Island, New Remo and North Terrace.
Meanwhile, the town of Lake Williams in the central hinterland activated its EOC on Thursday in response to rising water levels reported in a decades-old beaver dam high above a small residential area on Juniper Street near South Lakeside Drive.
Eric Peterson, director of the Center for Emergency Operations in the region, says the BC’s emergency management teams are working to assess the site and pump water around the dam to reduce water levels. He says residents below are not in any danger at the moment.
Walt Cobb, the mayor of Lake Williams, says the dam is on Crown land within the city limits and has not been a concern since the 1970s.
The city says a local state of emergency could be declared to allow city staff to have access to private property in the area and other resources if needed.
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