Large part of southern B.C. under flood warnings, watches as storm bears down

VANCOUVER — A flood warning has been issued for part of a southeastern British Columbia river and many other waterways in the province are under flood watches as heavy rain has the potential to push surging rivers and streams over their banks.

The River Forecast Centre posted the flood warning for the Elk River at Fernie and added flood watches to rivers around Invermere, Radium, Revelstoke and as far west as the Shuswap, while maintaining flood watches for rivers from the Cariboo to the East Kootenay.

The updated warnings and watches follow rainfall warnings and special weather statements for the southeast corner of B.C. as an incoming storm brings up to 80 millimetres of rain to the Elk Valley and East Kootenay by late Tuesday.

The unsettled weather has also prompted a snowfall warning for the highest elevations of Highway 3 as forecasters say 10 to 15 centimetres of snow is expected to blanket the route between Christina Lake and Creston by late Tuesday.

High streamflow advisories were also issued early Monday across the Okanagan, Boundary and Similkameen, and similar advisories remain for the Thompson region and entire Fraser River corridor from Quesnel south to the ocean.

No evacuations have been ordered but alerts are still in effect for Six Mile, a small community near Duhamel Creek north of Nelson, 18 properties along the Tulameen River west of Tulameen, and for about 40 properties along the Fraser River in the eastern Fraser Valley District of Kent.

Earlier alerts for homes around Smithers and Terrace in northwestern B.C. were lifted over the weekend as levels of the Bulkley, Skeena and other northwest rivers subside.

Waterways in northeastern B.C. remain a concern, as a flood warning continues for the Liard River from Fort Nelson to the Yukon boundary and high streamflow advisories remain posted for other northern rivers and streams.

The centre says northern rivers that showed signs of levelling off Saturday could surge again due to weekend rains.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 13, 2022.

The Canadian Press