B.C. landslide: Updated timeline forecasts when water will reach communities
B.C. officials estimate the water and debris from the dam on the Chilcotin River landslide will reach Lytton on Tuesday afternoon, Boston Bar at about 7 p.m. and Hope around midnight.
“As mentioned yesterday, the risk of a worst-case scenario has drastically decreased but we are not in the clear yet,” B.C.’s Minister of Emergency Management, Bowinn Ma, said at a press conference on Tuesday.
She added that two more emergency alerts were issued on Monday to alert people in the area to the risk of flooding and urge them to evacuate immediately.
Ma said they are prepared to issue more alerts as needed.
Connie Chapman, executive director of water management with the B.C. government, said the reservoir that built up behind the dam on the Chilcotin River is now decreasing at a rate of 2.5 metres per hour.
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She said there is some large woody debris and sediment flowing downstream with the water.
Chapman said it took about 22.5 hours from the breach on Monday morning for the flow to reach the Fraser River at Lillooet.
“We are still anticipating of seeing an increase of water level of 1.8 metres,” she said, as the water moves down the Fraser River through the communities of Lytton and Boston Bar.
Around 12 a.m. on Wednesday it is likely to reach Hope with an elevation change in the water levels of about one metre, she added.
Ma stated again that everyone needs to stay off the Chilcotin and Fraser Rivers and refrain from using drones in the areas.
Video shared with Global News showed that one structure that was along the banks of the Chilcotin was washed into the flowing water on Monday.
That structure was unoccupied and not in use.
New Westminster has closed its boardwalk until further notice due to the expected debris on the Fraser River.
The provincial government has launched a new web portal to provide the latest information on the Chilcotin River landslide.
An update on the wildfire situation in the province was also provided.
As of Tuesday afternoon, there were more than 350 active fires burning in the province with eight wildfires of note.
About 1,000 people are on evacuation order due to the fires and about 2,500 people are on evacuation alert.
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