Bowinn Ma, B.C.'s Minister of Emergency Management, speaks at a flood and fire update on May 4. (Province of B.C. image)

By Pete McIntyre

Flood and fire risk update

Minister says significant flooding possible from ‘deluge’ this weekend

May 4, 2023 | 2:45 PM

B.C.’s Minister of Emergency Management started off a provincial flood risk update by passing on her “deepest gratitude” to the people of Cache Creek, Okanagan Indian Band and Grand Forks.

The three communities have been hit hard by flooding incidents this week.

“They are actively working hard on the ground to minimize the impacts of flooding,” Bowinn Ma said on Thursday.

Ma said her ministry sent sandbags, sandbag machines, temporary retaining walls and emergency flood barriers to the communities last week in anticipation of flooding.

Ma said potentially-heavy rainfall is forecast for the Southern Interior and other regions starting Friday.

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“This will put pressure on our watersheds. It is a dynamic situation that is quickly evolving but significant flooding in these regions is possible this weekend.”

Ma urged residents to be vigilant and prepared.

“Please take precautions to ensure personal safety should you be required to evacuate from your home.”

Those precautions include a household plan and emergency Grab and Go bags.

Ma said there were seven evacuation orders and six evacuation alerts in B.C. due to flooding and landslides as of noon today.

David Campbell from the River Forecast Centre said a “very rapid transition from spring” is what’s currently causing the flooding issues, with the warm weather causing rapid snowmelt.

“As we come into the weekend, we’ll have additional challenges with a low pressure weather system that is expected to bring moderate to heavy rainfall throughout much of the Interior,” Campbell told the update.

“This is going to add additional runoff to the rivers that are already high from this snowmelt,” Campbell stated.

Cliff Chapman, director of provincial operations for the BC Wildfire Service, said it’s been a “fairly average spring” from a wildfire perspective, despite fires in the Kamloops area, the Chilcotin and near Dawson Creek.

Chapman said there have been 131 fires since Jan. 1, with the ten year average at 100, and there are no current fire-related evacuation orders or alerts.

He noted Wildfire Service personnel are helping out with the flood efforts in Cache Creek and Grand Forks.

Chapman added the amount of rain in May and June will dictate what July, August and September will look like from a “core fire season perspective in B.C.”

Minister Ma said they are hoping to see a “moderate amount of rain” in the coming days which will be good to prevent fires, but not good for flooding.

“A moderate amount of rain over a period of time is good for all sorts of reasons, but a deluge, like we’re going to be seeing now, will result in flooding,” Ma remarked.