Close X
Tuesday, January 14, 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But he and others received a reprieve Thursday when the Village of Pemberton rescinded evacuation alerts for several dozen properties whose residents had previously been told to be ready to leave on short notice.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

Homicide in Chinatown: VPD

Homicide in Chinatown: VPD
Sergeant Steve Addison says the unnamed victim was attacked (near Carrall Street and East Hastings Street) just after 5 a.m. The man was rushed to hospital but was pronounced dead.  

Homicide in Chinatown: VPD

CBSA major drug bust

CBSA major drug bust
Canada Border Services Agency says it seized nearly 200 kilograms of opium concealed in shipping containers arriving in B-C. A statement from the agency says a bust on August 15th at an examination facility in Burnaby turned up 150 kilograms of opium hidden in steel machinery.

CBSA major drug bust

Health Canada authorizes updated Pfizer-BioNTech COVID vaccine

Health Canada authorizes updated Pfizer-BioNTech COVID vaccine
Health Canada has authorized Pfizer-BioNTech's updated COVID-19 vaccine for people six months and older.  The mRNA vaccine targets the Omicron XBB.1.5 subvariant that is circulating in Canada. This is the second vaccine targeting XBB.1.5 that will be available in this country. 

Health Canada authorizes updated Pfizer-BioNTech COVID vaccine

Cdn economy to resume growth in 2024: report

Cdn economy to resume growth in 2024: report
A new report from Deloitte Canada suggests the economy's near-term struggles will ease next year as the Bank of Canada begins cutting its key lending rate. The report estimates GDP will rise one per cent this year and 0.9 per cent next year. Deloitte Canada had earlier predicted GDP would contract 0.9 per cent in 2023.

Cdn economy to resume growth in 2024: report

'Enhanced masking' coming in health-care:Dix

'Enhanced masking' coming in health-care:Dix
Dix says the province has previously stated it would expect "enhanced masking" in health-care settings for the respiratory illness season in the fall but did not say whether the new rules will be mandatory. The minister says ensuring people who are already sick in hospital have the maximum protection possible during the season is important.

'Enhanced masking' coming in health-care:Dix

Delta property seized in drug bust

Delta property seized in drug bust
Delta police say a property valued at more than two-million-dollars has been seized in relation to a large-scale drug investigation. Police say the residence in Delta was transferred to the Province of B-C after the Supreme Court deemed the home as "offence-related property."

Delta property seized in drug bust