Heavy rainfall causing rivers to surge across B.C.

HOPE (NEWS 1130) — The head of the B.C. River Forecast Centre says the heaviest rainfall had mostly passed through the northeast by Saturday.

Dave Campbell says water levels are still high, but down from predictions earlier this week.

He says it will take time for the rain to flow down to the coast from headwaters and tributaries in the Interior and he expects the Fraser River south of Hope to peak early next week.

The city of Prince George has now issued an evacuation order for Farrell Street across from Paddlewheel Park which lies right beside the rising Fraser River.

Flood warnings are still in place for the Quesnel and the upper Fraser, while the Peace and the North and South Thompson rivers remain on a lower-level flood watch.

The water is also causing the closure of the boardwalk in New Westminster, where people have been urged to use the concrete path instead.

“The big concern isn’t locally, of course rain here adds to a little bit of water in the tail end of the river. But the main source, the Fraser River Watershed all the way up through the Thompson into Central BC, there’s more rain to come, we’ve had so much moisture there,” says meteorologist Michael Kuss.

But by the end of next week, there’s another problem.

“Temperatures are really going to start to warm up into the Interior, and that’s going to melt that snowpack and create a secondary wave of water,” Kuss says.

According to the provincial flood status update, the upper Fraser River is expected to reach between a 20 and 50-year flood level, and possibly beyond over the weekend.