Flood watches issued for several B.C. rivers in wake of powerful storms

VANCOUVER – Flood watches have been issued for several major waterways as torrential downpours hit parts of British Columbia.

The River Forecast Centre says rivers throughout the Columbia and East Kootenay regions, including tributaries around Golden, Revelstoke and the Columbia Valley, are rising.

The centre says the Shuswap and South Thompson rivers are also high enough to burst their banks.

Further north, flood watches have been issued for the Skeena River and its tributaries, including the Bulkley River in northwestern B.C., and for waterways throughout the south Peace region, which encompasses Tumbler Ridge, Chetwynd, and Mackenzie.

Environment Canada says 30 millimetres of rain was expected in the southern and central Interior on Friday and it issued rainfall warnings for a large section of northern B.C.

A news release from the forecaster said drenching rain had been falling in the Skeena and south Peace regions since Thursday.

“Rainfall totals observed so far have been in the 15 to 50 millimetre range through the Skeena, Bulkley and northwest B.C., and 15 to 60 millimetres through the Peace, Williston, and Mackenzie region,” the release said.

The downpours were blamed for a washout Thursday night that closed Highway 1 about 25 kilometres west of Revelstoke, prompted a lengthy detour for those heading to or coming from southern Alberta.

RCMP in Revelstoke said crews estimated the highway would not reopen until Sunday but a detour via Highway 6 and the inland ferry system from Shelter Bay to Galena Bay was available, although long delays were expected.

A news release issued Friday from the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure said the 80 vehicle M.V. Columbia would operate hourly round-the-clock during the Highway 1 closure, but it advised the wait for transport trucks had already reached five hours.