Fraser Valley on evacuation alert
Residents of more than 200 properties on evacuation alert in Langley could be asked to leave today as warm temperatures and a rapidly melting snow pack cause the Fraser River to rise.
On Saturday, Roeland Zwaag, director of public works for the Township of Langley, said the river was measuring 5.9 metres and rising.
Based on the forecast, he said the river is expected to rise to 6.1 metres today, at which time the water could start flooding lowlying roads in Glen Valley and Allard Crescent.
Door-to-door evacuations for the 260 homes and businesses on alert could begin when the river hits 6.3 metres, he said, which is expected to occur Monday. Zwaag noted that in 2012 the river reached just under 6.4 metres, but an evacuation was not required.
If there is an evacuation order, residents will be hand-delivered notices by emergency responders and information will be shared on social media platforms.
“This is, of course, a stressful situation for those potentially impacted, and we have seen what is happening in other parts of the province,” Ramin Seifi, the general manager of engineering and community development for the Township of Langley, said in a statement Friday.
“That’s why being prepared is key. It will be much easier to cope if we plan ahead and are prepared if flooding does become a reality.”
Residents of Barnston Island in the Fraser River, between Surrey and its Meadows, remain on evacuation alert, as do residents of more than 40 homes in Hope.
Chilliwack issued an evacuation order last week for three properties at Carey Point, and 10 properties are under evacuation alert.
The B.C. River Forecast Centre is maintaining a high stream flow advisory for the Fraser River from Lytton through Hope and the Fraser Valley.
High temperatures during the last two weeks have led to significant snowmelt run-off in the headwaters of the Fraser River upstream of Prince George, and in other tributaries, according to the centre.
The centre said areas upstream on the Fraser River, including Prince George and Quesnel, are on a separate flood watch.
Efforts begin to shift from response to recovery in some B.C. communities already gutted by flooding. Officials said the second catastrophic surge of flooding they anticipated for Friday and Saturday in the Boundary region, including the devastated community of Grand Forks, never came — thanks to lower temperatures and less rainfall than forecasted.
And while those areas are not in the clear yet — with 130 per cent more snowpack remaining at higher elevations than is typical for this time of year — officials are hopeful the worst is over.
“We are seeing those risk levels abetting and we’re working really hard to get everyone back in their homes,” said Chris Marsh, emergency operations centre coordinator for the Regional District of Kootenay Boundary.
Many areas remain flooded, and evacuation orders are still in place for about 3,000 residents.