HISTORICAL NEWS SEARCH - Government of British Columbia

In July, heavy rainfall caused widespread landsliding over a large area of the northern Cordillera. The heavy
rainfall resulted in numerous debris flows and related sediment-water flow processes that severed the Alaska Highway in
three areas: Muncho Lake, B.C., Rancheria and Kluane, Y.T. The events paralysed travel in the region for several days
(Evans and Clague 1989; Trenhaile1998).
A major portion of the highway along the west shore of Kluane Lake was buried under a mountain slide. It took
many days to dig the muck off the road surface and to stabilise the hillside sufficiently to protect against further slides.
Traffic again piled up at both ends of the blockage, although many escaped by driving around by way of Dawson City, the
Top of the World Highway, and Richardson Highway in Alaska to Teslin Junction on the Alaska Highway (Coates 1992).
In the vicinity of Muncho Lake, debris flows originating in the steep watersheds of the Sentinel Range of the
Rocky Mountains severed the highway at six locations. At Kluane Lake, debris flows and debris avalanches severed the
highway in numerous places. At one location, near the Slims River, a debris flow covered over 500 m of highway. The direct
cost of restoring the Alaska Highway was in the order of $1.8 Million in 1988 dollars (Evans and Clague 1989). *1)
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*1) These events point out the vulnerability of transportation facilities in mountainous terrain where the location of routes
necessarily involves the traversing of active geomorphic surfaces.
August 1, 1988
Event type: Glacial outburst flood.
Precipitation: Not applicable.
Source: Eero Karanka, pers. comm. February 21, 1994. Habitat Biologist, Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Prince
Rupert.
On August 1, the lower lake on the Tulsequah Glacier drained (Karanka, pers. comm.). *1)
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*1) There are two lakes on Tulsequah Glacier that drain by jökulhlaup; the one described by Marcus (1960) and
another lake further up the glacier. The latter should not be confused with Upper Lake Tulsequah described by Marcus
(1960) (Karanka, pers. comm.).
September 16, 1988
Event type: Glacial outburst flood.
Precipitation: Not applicable.
Source: Eero Karanka, pers. comm. February 21, 1994. Habitat Biologist, Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Prince
Rupert.
On September 16, the upper lake of the Tulsequah Glacier drained (Karanka, pers. comm.). *1)
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*1) Based on WSC data, other drainings may have occurred on August 17, 1989, July 19 and August 20, 1990. The
drainings are detectable in the WSC data only since 1988, when the gauging station was moved from upstream to
downstream of the Tulsequah River junction (Karanka, pers. comm.).
September 26-29, 1988
Event type: Flooding.
Precipitation: Hartley Bay (357.2 mm/3 days), September 26-28, 1988; Prince Rupert (75.0 mm/1 day), September 27,
1988; Pallant Creek (234.6 mm/2 days), September 27-28, 1988; Prince Rupert M. Circ (121.4 mm/2 days), September
27-28, 1988; Falls River (180.2 mm/2 days), September 27-28, 1988; Kemano (114.4 mm/2 days), September 27-28,
1988; Kildala (172.9 mm/2 days), September 27-28, 1988; Kitimat 2 (204.2 mm/2 days), September 27-28, 1988;
Kitimat Townsite (180.5 mm/2 days), September 27-28, 1988; Bella Coola (149.8 mm/2 days), September 27-28,
1988; Sewell Inlet (222.2 mm/2 days), September 27-28, 1988; Sandspit A (36.6 mm/1 day), September 28, 1988;
Nass Camp (62.4 mm/1 day), September 28, 1988; Terrace (106.6 mm/1 day), September 28, 1988; Smithers A (59.4
mm/2 days), September 28-29, 1988.
Source: The Daily News, September 29, October 21, 1988; Northern Sentinel, September 29, 1988; The Coast
Mountain Courier, October 5, November 30, 1988; The Terrace Standard, October 5 and 19, November 2, 1988; The
Interior News, October 5, 1988; The Province, October 21, 1988; Environment Canada 1991; Initial Report by
Ministry of Environment –Rivers Section File P88-6, Task 890895; Eurocan Pulp & Paper Co. Ltd., Annual Report
1988 T.F.L. 41, Kitimat; Brent Smith, pers. comm. Skeena Cellulose, Terrace; Memorandum, October 4, 1988, Archie
MacDonald (Skeena Cellulose, Terrace) to Ted Wilson (B.C. Min. For., Terrace); Pacific Northern Gas, Terrace)
Repair Costs for Copper River; Letter, October 31, 1988, Ted Wilson (Engineering Assistant B.C. Min. For., Terrace)
to Dean Moneray (Manager, Coastal Sector Provincial Emergency Program) Vancouver. Damage Report for
September 29-30, 1988.
On August 29 following heavy rains, severe flooding occurred in a number of watersheds in northwestern
British Columbia. A two-day storm hit Terrace and Kitimat, with winds gusting up to 100 km/h. Kitimat reported 5.5
in. (139.7 mm) of rain in 24 hours and Terrace reported 4 in. (101.6 mm) on September 28. The storm brought heavy
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