HISTORICAL NEWS SEARCH - Government of British Columbia

*1) In early 1990, several houses from the most exposed central part of the fan were relocated and temporary
(“primary”) dikes were constructed to provide interim protection to the community (Hungr and Smith 1990). To
protect the village, retaining walls were later built at a cost reported to be around $1,000,000 (Karanka, pers. comm.)
*2) Extreme lake levels in the past have exceeded 20 ft. (6 m).
*3) This line, which is one of the highest maintenance lines in British Columbia, was installed 10 years earlier at a cost
of $600,000. In the previous year, BC Hydro spent more than $300,000 on repairs (The Vancouver Province).
November 15-18, 1989
Event type: Flooding, icejam flooding and debris slides.
Precipitation: Hartley Bay (353.6 mm/4 days), November 15-18, 1989; Prince Rupert (115.2 mm/4 days), November
15-18, 1989; Prince Rupert M. Circ (140.2 mm/4 days), November 15-18, 1989; Nass Camp (52.6 mm/1 day),
November 17, 1989; Falls River (184.0 mm/3 days), November 17-19, 1989; Kemano (100.0 mm/3 days), November
17-19, 1989; Kildala (99.9 mm/3 days), November 17-19, 1989; Terrace (55.4 mm/2 days), November 17-18, 1989;
Kitimat Townsite (94.6 mm/2 days), November 17-18, 1989; Bella Coola (83.6 mm/2 days), November 17-18, 1989;
Smithers (38.7mm/1 day), November 18, 1989.
Source: The Daily News, November 20, 1989; Northern Sentinel, January 17, 1990; The Terrace Standard, November
22, 1989; Environment Canada 1991.
Mudslides 50 km west of Terrace closed Highway 16 between Prince Rupert-Terrace for six hours. Ice
blocked Pollywog Creek, causing the water to overflow. The highway was covered with 1.5 ft. (45 cm) of water and
mud.
On November 19 on Highway 37, 30 km south of Terrace, 150 ft. (45 m) of highway collapsed. The damage
was estimated at $20,000. On November 21, the highway was reopened with one-lane traffic on the damaged section.
Water in the Kitimat River reached exceptionally high levels. On November 18, the Kitimat River below Hirsch Creek
recorded a maximum instantaneous discharge of 1,949 m 3 /s and a maximum daily discharge of 1,020 m 3 /s
(Environment Canada 1991). It changed course at the east bank below the Haisla bridge. The river relocation caused
the removal of gravel, exposing the municipal water infiltration galleries. The municipal water turned muddy but was
considered safe to drink.
Terrace experienced the first major snowfall of the winter. The snowfall put an end to the construction work
on the Shames Mountain Ski Hill access road. According to Dave St. Thomas, the Ministry of Highways official in
charge of the project, the base for 1.25 km of the 4.5-km road was completed before the snow made further work
impossible.
On the west coast of the Queen Charlotte Islands, new debris slides occurred in CP 144 and elsewhere in the
Rennell Sound area. This area was severely hit by slides during the October 31-November 1, 1978, storm and again in
1979.
November 26-December 4, 1989
Event type: Flooding and debris slides.
Precipitation: Pallant Creek (259.8 mm/4 days), November 26-29, 1989; Prince Rupert M. Circ (469.2 mm/9 days),
November 26-December 4, 1989; Kemano (52.0 mm/1 day), November 27, 1989; Kildala (52.5 mm/1 day), November
27, 1989; Sandspit A (87.4 mm/3 days), November 27-29, 1989; Prince Rupert (198.1 mm/6 days), November 27-
December 2, 1989; Kitimat Townsite (273.8 mm/7 days), November 27-December 3, 1989; Terrace (205.7 mm/7
days), November 27-December 3, 1989; Falls River (373.0 mm/7 days), November 27-December 3, 1989; Hartley Bay
(272.7 mm/6 days), November 28-December 3, 1989; Kemano (98.0 mm/2 days), December 1-2, 1989; Kildala (102.8
mm/2 days), December 1-2, 1989; Pallant Creek (194.8 mm/4 days), December 1-4, 1989.
Source: Northern Sentinel, December 6, 1989; The Daily News, December 4, 1989; The Terrace Standard, December
6, 1989; Terrace Review, November 29, December 6, 1989; File M 52-651-091310 Hwy. 16. B.C. Ministry of
Transportation and Highways, Terrace.
Overnight November 27-28, Terrace recorded its second heaviest 24-hour rainfall in its recorded history with
91.9 mm. *1) According to John How, Terrace airport weather specialist, Terrace had a total rainfall of 234.2 mm for
November.
In Terrace, debris-clogged storm drains caused flooding on Greig Avenue between Atwood-Kalum. The
storm sewer near the Park Avenue pumping station was plugged with debris. It caused a 2 ft. (60 cm) deep ditch
parallel to Park Avenue, with water flowing down city streets to Greig Avenue. The Terrace Hotel was hardest hit.
Services in the electrical room were under more than a metre of water. The basement storage rooms sustained some
damage. The Iron Works gymnasium was flooded with 2 in. (5 cm) of water. The front office of the Terrace Review
had 9 in. (22.9 cm) of water on the floor. In the 4600 block (of Greig Avenue?), clogged storm drains forced Howe
Creek to overflow its banks. Some homes had up to 2 m of water in their basements. Elsewhere in Terrace, plugged
storm drains caused minor damage.
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