Tuesday, June 30, 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

      Many Canadians Feel Ill Prepared For Career Change: Survey

      Many Canadians Feel Ill Prepared For Career Change: Survey
      The Ipsos survey, conducted for Royal Roads University in Victoria, found 45 per cent of the more than one-thousand employed people questioned are eyeing a new career.

      Many Canadians Feel Ill Prepared For Career Change: Survey

      Canadian Warship Helps New Zealanders Cope With Earthquake Aftermath

      Canadian Warship Helps New Zealanders Cope With Earthquake Aftermath
      OTTAWA — A Canadian warship is helping New Zealanders cope with the aftermath of a 7.8 magnitude quake that left two dead and cut off 700 people in a small coastal town. 

      Canadian Warship Helps New Zealanders Cope With Earthquake Aftermath

      Sudden Rise In Interest Rates Could Cause Home Prices To Drop 30 Per Cent: CMHC

      Sudden Rise In Interest Rates Could Cause Home Prices To Drop 30 Per Cent: CMHC
      TD Bank (TSX:TD) has quietly increased its fixed mortgage rates ahead of a similar move by Royal Bank of Canada (TSX:RY) to take effect Thursday, the latest sign that Canada's big banks are hiking the costs of borrowing for homeowners.

      Sudden Rise In Interest Rates Could Cause Home Prices To Drop 30 Per Cent: CMHC

      Mental Illness Among Manitoba Kids Higher In Inner-City, North

      Mental Illness Among Manitoba Kids Higher In Inner-City, North
      A new study says mental illness is a widespread problem among Manitoba children, and is much more pronounced in the province's north and Winnipeg's downtown.

      Mental Illness Among Manitoba Kids Higher In Inner-City, North

      B.C. Man Accused Of Profiting From Reselling Stolen Baby Formula In China

      Vancouver police say they've arrested a man linked to the theft of hundreds of thousands of dollars of baby formula.

      B.C. Man Accused Of Profiting From Reselling Stolen Baby Formula In China

      Opioid Crisis Prompts Federal Ministers To Meet B.C. Premier Ahead Of Summit

      Opioid Crisis Prompts Federal Ministers To Meet B.C. Premier Ahead Of Summit
      B.C. Premier Christy Clark is meeting with federal health and public safety ministers in Ottawa to talk about Canada's opioid crisis in advance of this week's summit meeting in the national capital.

      Opioid Crisis Prompts Federal Ministers To Meet B.C. Premier Ahead Of Summit

      PrevNext