Friday, March 27, 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

      Icy Waterfall Rescue Nets Man On Date A Bravery Medal, Couple Now Engaged

      Icy Waterfall Rescue Nets Man On Date A Bravery Medal, Couple Now Engaged
      VICTORIA — A hiking date on Vancouver Island for two friends turned into a life-saving rescue from the edge of a frigid waterfall that earned Janson Chapman a bravery medal and a lifetime partner.

      Icy Waterfall Rescue Nets Man On Date A Bravery Medal, Couple Now Engaged

      Montreal Man Accused In U.S. Airport Stabbing Faces New Terrorism Charge

      Montreal Man Accused In U.S. Airport Stabbing Faces New Terrorism Charge
      U.S. federal prosecutors have added a terrorism charge to the case of a Montreal man who is accused of stabbing a police officer at a Michigan airport in June.

      Montreal Man Accused In U.S. Airport Stabbing Faces New Terrorism Charge

      Justin Trudeau Says Party Not Turning Back On Social Media In Future Campaigns

      Justin Trudeau says he's not going to turn his back on social media for future campaigns at a time of deepening public concerns over the use of private Facebook data for political purposes.

      Justin Trudeau Says Party Not Turning Back On Social Media In Future Campaigns

      Online Threat To U.S. High School Traced To 14-Year-Old Girl In Canada

      Online Threat To U.S. High School Traced To 14-Year-Old Girl In Canada
      U.S. authorities say a 14-year-old girl in Canada has been charged in connection with an online threat against a high school in New Hampshire.

      Online Threat To U.S. High School Traced To 14-Year-Old Girl In Canada

      Vancouver University Develops Program To Help Kids Cope With Overdose Crisis

      Prof. Teri Derksen says an unforgettable image of children playing overdose games in a park became the vision behind a university research project to help kids whose family members have been affected by opioids.

      Vancouver University Develops Program To Help Kids Cope With Overdose Crisis

      Transportation Safety Board To Probe Cause Of Smoky WestJet Flight In B.C.

      Investigators with the Transportation Safety Board are being sent to Vancouver Island to determine why thick smoke suddenly filled the cabin of a commuter plane travelling to Nanaimo, B.C.

      Transportation Safety Board To Probe Cause Of Smoky WestJet Flight In B.C.

      PrevNext