Tuesday, June 9, 2026
    ADVT 
    National

    Rain, Melting Snow Pose Flooding Concerns Across B.C. As Evacuations Lift

    Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 23 May, 2018 11:30 AM
      Many people forced from their homes by flooding in southern British Columbia have been allowed to return, but officials say there are still areas of concern in many parts of the province.
       
       
      Evacuation orders for about 171 addresses in Grand Forks were lifted Tuesday, with the Regional District of Kootenay Boundary saying the threat of flooding had decreased.
       
       
      Residents of more than 500 properties across the province remained out of their home, and another 6,500 were on evacuation alert, warned that they may need to leave at a moment's notice.
       
       
      The Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen said drones were used to re-evaluate its evacuation alerts and orders. Residents would be allowed to return to their homes "as soon as the situation is appropriate," the regional district said.
       
       
      Farmers and ranchers have been hit hard by the rising waters, said Agriculture Minister Lana Popham. Cows were removed from two dairy farms on an island in the Fraser River near Surrey, she said.  
       
       
      "The flooding is taking a toll on farming and ranching families again," Popham said, adding many agriculture operations were also affected by last summer's historic wildfire season.
       
       
      Temperatures have been unseasonably high across much of the province in recent weeks, melting snow faster than waterways can cope with it, said David Campbell of the River Forecast Centre.
       
       
      "We, not surprisingly, have seen ongoing, dramatic, rapid snowmelt across the province over the last few weeks," he said.
       
       
      Enough snow has melted to reduce the risk for many areas that have seen significant flooding, Campbell said, but large melting snowpacks could still overwhelm the Thompson and Fraser rivers, and waterways in the Kootenay region.
       
       
      Severe rainfall is also a concern, he added, because June is known to bring wet weather across the province.
       
       
      "It's difficult, really, to kind of stand down from the seasonal risk until we're well past those weather risks," he said.
       
       
      Chris Duffy of Emergency Management BC said there are still about 300 Canadian Forces personnel and about 380 wildfire crews helping with the flood response.
      Prev Next

      MORE National ARTICLES

      Prominent, Well-loved Businessman Victim Of Homicide In Sydney, N.S.

      Prominent, Well-loved Businessman Victim Of Homicide In Sydney, N.S.
      James Matthews — co-founder of a financial planning business in Halifax — was found dead at in his apartment in Sydney on Tuesday.

      Prominent, Well-loved Businessman Victim Of Homicide In Sydney, N.S.

      B.C. Tourism Industry Taking A Significant Hit Due To Wildfires

      B.C. Tourism Industry Taking A Significant Hit Due To Wildfires
      KAMLOOPS, B.C. — British Columbia's tourism industry is taking a hit with businesses reporting rising cancellations and decreased traffic over fears of wildfires.

      B.C. Tourism Industry Taking A Significant Hit Due To Wildfires

      B.C. First Nation Chief Faces Sexual Offence, Lawyer Says Accusation Unfounded

      B.C. First Nation Chief Faces Sexual Offence, Lawyer Says Accusation Unfounded
      VICTORIA — The lawyer for a First Nation chief in British Columbia says his client will "vehemently defend" himself against a charge of sexual interference of a person under the age of 16.

      B.C. First Nation Chief Faces Sexual Offence, Lawyer Says Accusation Unfounded

      Winnipeg Firefighter Sentenced For Stealing Money, Jewelry While On A Call

      Provincial court Judge Kael McKenzie sentenced Darren Fedyck on Wednesday for theft under $5,000.

      Winnipeg Firefighter Sentenced For Stealing Money, Jewelry While On A Call

      Greyhound Bus Route On B.C.'s Highway Of Tears One Of Five That Could Be Axed

      Greyhound Bus Route On B.C.'s Highway Of Tears One Of Five That Could Be Axed
      Greyhound calls the decision "regrettably unavoidable" in a news release but says there has been a 51 per cent drop in riders since 2010, along with higher costs and increased competition from publicly subsidized services.

      Greyhound Bus Route On B.C.'s Highway Of Tears One Of Five That Could Be Axed

      Former B.C. Health Minister Terry Lake Joins Medical Marijuana Industry

      Lake, who says he will continue to live in Kamloops, B.C., has accepted the post of vice-president of corporate social responsibility with Quebec-based Hydropothecary.

      Former B.C. Health Minister Terry Lake Joins Medical Marijuana Industry

      PrevNext