HISTORICAL NEWS SEARCH - Government of British Columbia

of January 15, about 120 island residents, 37 families, left their homes on Island Cache when the river rose to within 4
in. (10 cm) of the top of the dike. They returned the next day only forced to leave again on the night of January 16.
Overnight January 15-16, temperatures in Prince George plunged to –42 o F (-41.1 o C). *1) That night an
estimated 100 people were evacuated from Cottonwood Island, threatened by flooding. Early on January 16, the river
leveled off at 18 ft., 3 ft. (90 cm) short of the annual flood level. But temperatures dipped to 40 degrees below zero
overnight and the river again froze over. On January 16, about 120 people were forced to leave their homes on Island
Cache again after an icejam backed up the water in the Nechako River.
Around January 17-18, the river level fluctuated widely as water backed up in the Nechako from its
cofluence with the frozen-over river. From a peak of 20 ft., 8 in. early on January 16, the water level fell 8 ft. (2.4 m)
in five hours. Early evening on January 17, the level rose to 20 ft., 6 in. but then hovered around 19 ft.
On January 17, the Nechako River finally spilled its banks, forcing more residents evacuated. Two homes
flooded to a depth of 2 ft. (60 cm). On January 17-18, the river rose to 19 ft. (5.7 m), leaving the 21-ft. (6.3 m) dike
around low-lying Cottonwood Island with only 2 ft. (60 cm) of clearance, and considerable seepage occurred. *2)
On January 18 temperatures dropped to–34 o F, a record for that date. At 6 p.m. that day, the Nechako River
level held at 19 ft., 2 ft. (60 cm) below the top of a dike along the island’s north side. On the night of January 19, some
100 people were evacuated and another 100 the next day when more flooding was feared.
On January 20, several families returned to their homes on Cottonwood Island after floodwaters on the
Nechako River receded.
---------------------------
*1) The record low temperature at the time stood at –55 o F (48.3 o C) set on January 3, 1950 (The Citizen, January 19,
1970).
*2) The flood threat was the fourth in eight years to hit the island, home of about 750 residents just outside Prince
George city limits (The Citizen, January 19, 1970). During the December 1968-January 1969 flooding, the Nechako
reached 23.3 ft. (The Vancouver Sun, January 16, 1970). The freezing is an “annual event,” and caused serious
flooding in 1968. “The community floods just about every year,” said an RCMP spokesman. “There’s no danger to life
or anything. The people just take a holiday and live in town until the waters go down.” (The Vancouver Sun, January
17, 1970).
February 3, 1970
Event type: Icejam flooding.
Precipitation: Not applicable.
Source: The Vancouver Sun, February 4, 1970; Peace River Block News, February 4, 1970 .
On February 3, warm weather, coupled with an icejam caused a sharp increase in the level of the Peace River at
Taylor. An icejam below Clayburst caused the Peace River to back up for 22 mi. (35.2 km). Residents of South Taylor, 40
mi. (64 km) northwest of Dawson Creek, reported an 18-ft. (5.4 m) rise in the Peace River. According to Homer Good,
district superintendent for the ministry of highways at Fort St. John, the real rise had been closer to only 5 ft. (1.5 m).
Overnight February 3-4, the river dropped 2 ft. (60 cm) from its crest but not before it had damaged Peace Island Park in this
unorganised territory on the south bank of the Peace. The drop reduced the flood threat to the community.
John Jackman, a South Taylor hotel operator and president of the Taylor Chamber of Commerce, stated that a rise
of another 5 ft. (1.5 m) would flood the flatland area. Concerned were 150 residents and 110 pupils in an elementary school
250 yd. (225 m) from the riverbank. According to school principal David Holmes, the river appeared to have risen 14 ft. (4.2
m) in his area and on February 3 was about 2.5 ft. (75 cm) from overflowing. The sudden rise was attributed to a massive
icejam stretching 20 mi. (32 km) downstream to the Alberta border.
On February 4, snowdrifts 3-4 ft. (0.9-1.2 m) high blocked many roads, trapping local residents. The hardest
hit districts were Fellers Heights, Rolla, Progress and Kilkerran. Winds were blowing at 30 mph (48 km/h) with gusts
to 50 mph (80 km/h).
July 18, 1970
Event type: Rockslide.
Precipitation: Prince Rupert (30.2 mm/1 day), July 18, 1970.
Source: The Daily News, July 20, 1970; Terrace Omineca Herald, July 22, 1970; J. Mekechuck, pers. comm. 1989.
CN Railway, Edmonton, Alta.
On July 19, CNR reported a rockslide on the highway and rail line near Telegraph Point. Four days of heavy
rain were reported in the area before the slide occurred. The line was closed for nine hours. On July 20, an eastbound
passenger train derailed at Haysport, injuring 20 people. Four cars derailed; a fifth went over the embankment and 20
yd. (18 m) of tracks were torn up.
August 1, 1970
Event type: Glacial outburst flood.
Precipitation: Not applicable.
106