HISTORICAL NEWS SEARCH - Government of British Columbia

mm/2 days), January 25-26, 1984; Sewell Inlet (336.4 mm/2 days), January 25-26, 1984; Sandspit A (39.5 mm/1 day),
January 26, 1984; Kemano (35.0 mm/1 day), January 27, 1984.
Source: The Daily News, January 27, 1984; Letter, February 27, 1984, J.W. Schwab (B.C. Ministry of Forests) to
District Office, Queen Charlotte City; B.C. Ministry of Forests, Queen Charlotte City; Fish/Forest Interaction Program
(FFIP).
On January 26 a mudslide came down onto Cannery Road near Port Edward. The slide was cleared on
January 27. Both lanes were open for traffic within six hours.
Snow avalanches blocked highway 37A between Stewart-Meziadin. It was still reported closed on January
27.
The severe storm, lasting approximately 20 hours, was centered over Sewell Inlet on the Queen Charlotte
Islands. An estimated 500 slope failures occurred during the storm (B.C. Ministry of Forests). The largest mass
movement occurred above Mathers Lake on Louise Island. The debris slide was over 800 m long, possibly
incorporating up to 50,000 m 3 of debris. The creeks that were most heavily impacted were Thorsen, Deena, and
Bonanza creeks. Slides were reported in the Sewell Inlet area and Thorsen Creek (B.C Ministry of Forests, Western
Forest Products). Debris torrents and debris avalanches occurred in the Deena, King, and Bonanza creeks (FFIP). The
weather stations at Sewall Masset Inlet and Gospel Point recorded 47.4 and 92.0 mm of rain in two days, respectively.
Near Rennell Sound on clearcut areas along Bonanza Creek, about 13 large slope failures occurred (FFIP).
February 13, 1984
Event type: Fatal snow avalanche.
Precipitation: Not applicable.
Source: The Sun, February 13, 1984.
On February 11, an avalanche in the Red Fern Lake area, about 185 km south of Fort Nelson swept down a
five-man snowmobiler party. An 18-year old Fort St. John man and a 20-year old man from Taylor were killed. The
victims were buried in deep snow. Three others escaped because they were behind a knoll. The avalanche came down
without any warning. The bodies were not recovered until the next day.
October 6-10, 1984
Event type: Glacial outburst flood.
Precipitation: Sandspit A (32.6 mm/1 day), October 6, 1984; Sewell Inlet (84.6 mm/1 day), October 6, 1984; Bella
Coola (78.2 mm/2 days), October 6-7, 1984; Tasu Sound (178.0 mm/5 days), October 6-10, 1984.
Source: Jones et al. 1985; Environment Canada 1991.
This major Thanksgiving Day storm created large floods in the watersheds on the east side of Coast
Mountains between the Squamish River to the south and the Dean River to the north (Jones et al. 1985). On October 8,
the Bella Coola River above Burnt Bridge Creek recorded a maximum instantaneous discharge of 389 m 3 /s and a
maximum daily discharge of 369 m 3 /s (Environment Canada 1991).
On October 20, Ape Lake, 50 km southeast of Bella Coola, drained in less than 24 hours beneath the snout of
Fyles Glacier. *1) The two distinct peak discharges were probably in the range of 985-1,500 m 3 /s. The sudden release
of about 45.8 million m 3 of water formerly stored in the lake created an unusually large flood on the Noeick River.
The flood caused extensive erosion, transport, and deposition of sediment stored on and adjacent to the floodplain of
the Noeick River. The flood destroyed more than 200,000 newly planted trees and some merchantable timber was lost.
Two bridges across the Noeick River were damaged and more than 1 km of a newly constructed forestry access road
and several kilometres of spur road were destroyed. The flooding also affected the productivity of the local fisheries
on the Noeick River downstream from the lake. Debris from the flood covered South Bentick Arm, affecting access by
water for several days. Immediately upstream from Purgatory Lake, floodwaters undercut the high lateral moraine
formed by Purgatory Glacier. Up to 3 m of sediment was deposited upstream from the lake, while immediately
downstream the river scoured and greatly enlarged its channel. Prior to the draining of Ape Lake, the area was subject
to two major storms. Between September 16-17, Bella Coola recorded 82.9 mm of rain. During the second storm,
which was widespread and caused large floods throughout southwest British Columbia, Bella Coola reported 102 mm
of rain.
-----------------------------
*1) Ape Lake appears to have been stable for several centuries until gradually changing ice conditions led to the
sudden draining of the lake (Jones et al. 1985).
November 21-22, 1984
Event type: Debris slides.
Precipitation: Hartley Bay (53.2 mm/1 day), November 21, 1984; Sewell Inlet (125.0 mm/1 day), November 21, 1984;
Pallant Creek (130.0 mm/1 day), November 21, 1984; Prince Rupert M. Circ (66.9 mm/2 days), November 21-22,
1984; Prince Rupert A (57.3 mm/2 days), November 21-22, 1984; Kitimat 2 (134.1 mm/2 days), November 21-22,
1984; Kitimat Townsite (97.8 mm/2 days), November 21-22, 1984; Falls River (129.6 mm/2 days), November 21-22,
144