Flood warning issued for Upper Fraser River in B.C.

The B.C. River Forecast Centre issued a flood warning on June 19 for the Upper Fraser River, after heavy rainfall triggered evacuation alerts and a local state of emergency in neighbouring communities.

Between 30 and 75 millimetres of rain have fallen in the past three days, the centre reports.

The warning indicates river levels have exceeded bankful or will exceed bankful imminently, and that flooding of adjacent areas will result. The warning applies to the Fraser River at Prince George and upstream, and downstream from Quesnel to Fraser Canyon. River levels are expected to be at flood stage downstream of Prince George through to the Fraser Canyon, starting on June 20 and extending through to June 21 and June 22, the warning notes.

Prince George declared a local state of emergency on June 18 and issued evacuation orders for 18 homes on two streets.

The river at Lower Canyon peaked late Sunday at 1,800 cubic metres/second and has since dropped to 1,300 m3/s. At Shelley, the river was still rising and was forecast to peak late this morning or early afternoon (B.C. time) at 4,550 m3/s. At South Fort George, the river was forecast to peak at 9.9510.20 m later on the evening of June 19.

The last time river levels exceeded 9.9 m was in 1972.