90 properties ordered evacuated due to flooding in northwestern B.C. | CBC News

The Regional District of Kitimat-Stikine has issued evacuation orders for the communities of Old Remo and New Remo, which are on low-lying flood plains just west of Terrace, B.C.

In a written statement, the district says it issued the evacuation orders because the flooding poses an imminent threat to people and properties in the two communities.

A total of 90 properties are covered by the orders, with 60 in New Remo and 30 in Old Remo. The orders will remain in force for at least seven days, until May 23 at midnight.

Usk, approximately 26 kilometres away from the two communities, remains under evacuation alert.

An evacuation order means people must leave the area immediately, while an alert means they must be prepared to leave at a moment’s notice.

All three communities have faced flood crises several times over the past two decades. Old Remo was flooded in 2002, 2007 and 2017, seeing roads washed out and dozens of homes evacuated.

Evacuation orders were issued for Old Remo and New Remo, located just southwest of Terrace, in June 2021. Both communities, along with Usk, about 15 kilometres northeast of the city, were placed under evacuation order in June 2022.

Less than two hours after Tuesday’s evacuation alert was declared, B.C.’s River Forecast Centre upgraded the flooding risk for Skeena River, Bulkley River and surrounding tributaries to a flood warning.

The warning means river levels have exceeded the top of the river banks or will imminently exceed that level, leading to flooding of surrounding areas.

The centre’s warning includes waterways across Wet’suwet’en and Gitxsan territories, as well as from Telkwa to Terrace.

The centre says flooding on the Skeena River could reach a 20-year high as early as Wednesday as continuing hot weather accelerates snowmelt across most of B.C.

It also estimates the Bulkley River near Smithers, around 300 kilometres west of Prince George, B.C., will flood by the end of the day and could reach a 10-year high by Thursday.

B.C.’s Ministry of Forests is warning people to stay clear of fast-flowing rivers and potentially unstable riverbanks and avoid any recreational activities on or near waterways under a warning.

Flood watches further south

Several waterways in southern B.C. are also under a flood watch, with the River Forecast Centre warning that the Kettle and Granby rivers in the Boundary basin and the Slocan River near Crescent Valley will continue to rise through the weekend.

A flood watch means river levels are rising and will approach or may exceed the top of the river banks, and areas near the river banks may be flooded.

Flood watches remain in effect for the Lower Thompson region of southern B.C., including Cache Creek, and the Deadman and Bonaparte rivers, as well as a section of the Bella Coola River on the Central Coast, while high streamflow advisories cover much of the rest of the province.

A section of the Bella Coola River on the Central Coast was also under a flood watch, while high streamflow advisories covered much of the rest of the province.

Thirty-seven heat records were set across B.C. on Monday, including in Smithers and Terrace, where a high of 29.5 C shattered a record that had stood in the area since 1925.

Province’s financial support for flood-impacted communities

The B.C. government on Tuesday also announced financial support for people affected by recent flooding in a dozen communities, including Cache Creek, West Kelowna, Grand Forks and six First Nations bands.

The Ministry of Emergency Management said disaster financial assistance is available to those affected by floods between April 27 and May 16, 2023.

It’s available to homeowners, tenants, business owners and others who were unable to obtain insurance to cover disaster-related losses, it said.

Those seeking compensation after a flooding event have 90 days to apply.