'Worst-case scenarios': Fraser Valley residents warned to be prepared for potential spring flooding
It's a call to be prepared for potential flooding this spring, and it comes with good reason.
The Fraser Valley Regional District is urging those living in low-lying areas to have “go kits” ready and important documents easily accessible should homes have to be quickly evacuated.
“What we’re doing here is not to try and alarm people but is to be proactive, be ready before an event happens,” said Jason Lum, chair of the FVRD.
The request comes as B.C. faces an elevated flood risk. The province has seen record snowpack and record-late melt in some areas. The Fraser River is being closely monitored.
“We are seeing elevated snowpack and that’s been exacerbated by the delay in the melt, and so there’s still most of that snow to come down over the next four to six weeks,” said David Campbell of B.C.’s River Forecast Centre.
“We’re starting to see some of those worst-case scenarios related to the weather pattern so far in the snowpack,” he added.
Campbell said conditions are similar to what occurred before the historic Fraser River floods of 1948.
“We did see that pattern of an extremely cool spring and then a rapid melt, so we know that’s the kind of ingredients for a potential significant flood event, so that’s what’s concerning us most,” he said.
Sudden, hot weather is a worry. Heavy rains, like those seen in November, are not expected, but Campbell said heavy rain could still be the “wild card.”
The catastrophic flooding in B.C. last year has made Lum, and many others, more cautious.
“I think everybody’s a little bit tense, walking a little bit on eggshells here,” he said.
“The climate is changing. These weather events are becoming more extreme and more frequent. And really, it’s up to us … to become resilient as well, make sure we're doing everything we can to be emergency prepared,” Lum said.
He said when the weather warms up and people are spending more time around rivers and streams, they need to be extra cautious.
“When the melt starts, it can rise very rapidly, especially if the weather turns very warm, very quickly.”
He said one of the challenges continues to be the current diking systems, which will take billions of dollars to upgrade.
Lum recommends residents sign up for the Alertable app to receive emergency notifications.
“The time is now to get ready and be prepared,” he said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
Full parole granted to man convicted in notorious 'McDonald's murders' in Cape Breton
The Parole Board of Canada has granted full parole to one of three men convicted in the brutal murders of three McDonald's restaurant workers in Cape Breton more than 30 years ago.
Incident on Calgary's Reconciliation Bridge comes to safe resolution
Nearly 20 hours after a man climbed and remained perched on top of the Reconciliation Bridge in downtown Calgary, the situation came to a peaceful resolution.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
'We won't forget': How some Muslims view Poilievre's stance on Israel-Hamas war
A spokesman for a regional Muslim advocacy group says Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's stance on the Israel-Hamas war could complicate his party's relationship with Muslim Canadians.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.