British Columbia: After a landslide dam on the Chilcotin River was breached, officials and residents in the B.C. Interior are assessing the damage as the floodwater flows down the Fraser River.
Preliminary forecasts suggest that water and debris from the flood will reach Hope, B.C., by Tuesday. Chief Roger William of Xeni Gwet’in First Nations mentioned that they are currently monitoring the situation and assessing the potential damage.
By Monday evening, the flood had reached Big Bar on the Fraser River, about 70 km downstream from where the Chilcotin and Fraser rivers meet. The province expects the floodwaters to rise to spring melt levels along the Fraser River, extending up to 300 km downstream to Hope.
Evacuation orders are in effect for areas along the Chilcotin River from near Hanceville to its confluence with the Fraser River, as well as for the Fraser River banks near that confluence. Additionally, evacuation alerts have been issued for districts within 300 meters of the Fraser River banks, advising residents to be ready to evacuate.