Close X
Sunday, January 12, 2025
ADVT 
National

Evacuation alerts lifted as flood risk recedes across B.C.'s South Coast

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 02 Feb, 2024 10:57 AM
  • Evacuation alerts lifted as flood risk recedes across B.C.'s South Coast

Pemberton resident Dean Matt's anxiety has waxed and waned this week with the levels of the swollen Lillooet River on B.C.'s South Coast.

Matt, owner of a roofing company, said his property at the river's edge had been under threat earlier this week.

But he and others received a reprieve Thursday when the Village of Pemberton rescinded evacuation alerts for several dozen properties whose residents had previously been told to be ready to leave on short notice.

British Columbia's River Forecast Centre lifted a flood warning for the Lillooet and Squamish rivers, saying flows remain high but rainfall and snowmelt are tapering off.

"It was kind of stressful," said Matt. "That was the Monday or Tuesday night where it was pretty well full, the river.

"We got a good break in the weather on Tuesday, I think it was, so that pretty much saved us. If we wouldn't have got that break, it would have been scary."

The river forecast centre also downgraded flood advisories across the province's South Coast as a stretch of warm, wet weather eased, with forecasts returning closer to seasonal temperatures by the weekend.

"Based on forecasts and current observations on the ground, things are currently looking favourable," said Pemberton emergency program officer Sarah Toews. 

"We're cautiously optimistic that the kind of worst impacts have passed."

Environment Canada has also lifted a rainfall warning for the Howe Sound area, including Squamish.

A flood watch remains in effect for the Sproat and Somass rivers on Vancouver Island, while lower-level streamflow advisories cover the rest of the South Coast.

Avalanche Canada, meanwhile, said conditions remained "very dangerous" in alpine areas throughout the Sea to Sky corridor, including mountains surrounding Whistler, Squamish and Pemberton.

"Hunting for dry snow in the alpine will put you closest to harm's way," said the latest bulletin posted by the agency for that region.

Environment Canada said another round of daily high-temperature records fell across southwestern B.C. on Wednesday, with West Vancouver reaching 17.9 C, almost three degrees higher than the previous Jan. 31 record set in 1993.

The River Forecast Centre said rain from the warm air system is expected to ease Friday, and cooler conditions should arrive by the weekend.

The forecast is welcome news for Matt, whose property didn't end up getting flooded or evacuated, although he said the golf courses down the road were partially underwater before the river receded.

"I'm sure they're going to have quite a cleanup in the spring," Matt said. "But overall, things are kind of back to normal now."

An earlier update from the River Forecast Centre said rainfall since last Friday ranged from 70 to more than 500 millimetres across the South Coast, while unseasonable warmth added between 75 and 150 millimetres of snowmelt earlier this week.

 

MORE National ARTICLES

RCMP tells owners to turn in guns after banned fully automatic model sold in Canada

RCMP tells owners to turn in guns after banned fully automatic model sold in Canada
The RCMP has told owners to turn in what the force is calling fully automatic military surplus firearms after hundreds were misidentified and allowed into Canada for commercial sale. The Mounties say the registrar of firearms immediately froze records relating to the 245 prohibited guns upon discovery of the issue to prevent further sale or transfer of the firearms.  

RCMP tells owners to turn in guns after banned fully automatic model sold in Canada

Police involved shooting in West Kelowna

Police involved shooting in West Kelowna
The Independent Investigations Office is investigating a police-involved shooting in West Kelowna this afternoon where one man was injured.  The R-C-M-P says police were responding to reports of gunshots and a man with a weapon in a vehicle.

Police involved shooting in West Kelowna

Pedestrian struck and killed in Vancouver

Pedestrian struck and killed in Vancouver
Police are investigating after a pedestrian was struck and killed by a car in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside today. Police say two cars collided at an intersection just before 11 this morning, and one of the cars jumped the curb and he the person on the sidewalk.  

Pedestrian struck and killed in Vancouver

Canada taking 'necessary time' to probe hospital blast in Gaza, says Trudeau

Canada taking 'necessary time' to probe hospital blast in Gaza, says Trudeau
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Thursday that Canada is working with allies to determine "exactly what happened" in the blast at a hospital in Gaza City earlier this week that has become a flashpoint in the Israel-Hamas war.  Trudeau said at a news conference in Ottawa that Canada is taking the "necessary time" to probe a blast that the Hamas-controlled Gaza Health Ministry says left hundreds dead. 

Canada taking 'necessary time' to probe hospital blast in Gaza, says Trudeau

Alberta court rejects challenge from law student to Oath of Allegiance to monarchy

Alberta court rejects challenge from law student to Oath of Allegiance to monarchy
Prabjot Singh Wirring had argued the portion of the oath mandated by the Legal Profession Act that includes pledging allegiance to the sovereign violates his Charter rights to religious freedom and equality. Wirring, who is an Amritkhari Sikh, said he is only allowed to pledge allegiance to a divine being in the Sikh tradition and not Queen Elizabeth, who was the reigning monarch at the time his suit was filed.   

Alberta court rejects challenge from law student to Oath of Allegiance to monarchy

ShakeOutBC earthquake drill

ShakeOutBC earthquake drill
Thousands of people across B-C dropped, covered and held on this morning -- as they took part in the annual ShakeOutBC earthquake drill. The event -- at 10:19 a-m -- simulates an earthquake response and is a key part of provincial efforts to raise awareness about what to do in the moments, hours and days after an earthquake strikes.

ShakeOutBC earthquake drill