Evacuation orders in Chilliwack, alerts in Langley as Fraser River levels expected to rise
Posted May 15, 2018 10:37 am.
Last Updated May 15, 2018 6:48 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
CHILLIWACK (NEWS 1130) – As the spring runoff makes its way to the coast, water levels on the Fraser River through Chilliwack are expected top what the city saw in 2012.
Three homes in Carey Point which are not protected by the city’s dike system are under an evacuation order. Several others are on evacuation alert. But planning and engineering director David Blain says at this point, there’s no reason to panic.
“Once the river gets up towards seven and above, then all properties outside the dike will be of some concern. In terms of what’s protected inside the dike, the river has to get over eight in Mission before we have serious concerns.”
Meanwhile, an evacuation alert has been issued by the Township of Langley for unprotected flood plain areas of Northwest Langley and Glen Valley, as well as Brae Island and McMillan Island.
This is not an evacuation order — just an alert, that lets people in the affected areas know they need to be ready to leave at a moment’s notice if water levels rapidly rise.
The River Forecast Centre is projecting a rise to 6.6 meters though Mission in the coming days, which would be just above what was seen during the 2012 flooding season.
Blain tells us they’ll be ready when the river swells.
“Staff are working hard to prepare, but right now, it’s mainly monitoring. We have a detailed flood response plan and at different levels, different activities occur. We do have dike patrols underway.”
A high streamflow advisory is still in place for the Fraser River.
