Ice jams prompt flooding concerns for homeowners near Smithers, B.C.

SMITHERS, B.C. – Residents on the southeast edge of Smithers, B.C., are on high alert as ice jams threaten to flood the area and force people from their homes.

Regional District of Bulkley-Nechako chairman Bill Miller says ice has backed up along the Bulkley River, causing water to rise and seep into basements and crawl spaces of some nearby homes.

He says about 15 to 20 homeowners have been warned that they may need to evacuate if the water level continues to go up.

Several residents left voluntarily over the holiday season, opting to stay with friends or family instead of living with the stress of a possible evacuation.

Ice jams have caused problems in the region in the past.

An evacuation alert was issued for the same general area in January 2012, and about a dozen homes were ordered evacuated in April 2009.

Families flee homes in B.C.’s Bulkley-Nechako District as #icejam grows https://t.co/Y0E1oDayNH #icewater #flooding #water #Smithers #BC

— Erik Haselhorst (@EfwHasel) January 4, 2016