HISTORICAL NEWS SEARCH - Government of British Columbia

Precipitation: Not applicable.
Source: The Interior News, May 7, 1948.
On May 5, a washout at Quick that blocked the Jasper to Prince Rupert rail line caused a considerable delay
for the westbound train.
May 16-18, 1948
Event type: Spring runoff flooding.
Precipitation: Not applicable.
Source: The Daily Colonist, May 20, 1948.
On May 16, a flash flood washed out over Lower Rancheria River, between Watson Lake-Whitehorse, Y.T.,
closing the Alaska Highway. Eight sections of the 15-section span, 212-ft. (63.6 m) bridge were swept away in a flood
during which the river rose over 10 ft. (3 m). An Army engineer expected to have the bridge rebuilt in about 10 days,
hoping to reopen the highway by May 26.
Around May 17-18, the Fraser River inundated low-lying land at Giscome, 25 mi. (40 km) east of Prince
George. This was the first reported flooding for the 1948 spring runoff. The Fraser River at Prince George rose 14 in.
(35 cm) in 36 hours. At Willow River nearby, workmen built a log diversion to protect a bridge on the main highway.
May 25-June 10, 1948
Event type: Spring runoff flooding.
Precipitation: Not applicable.
Source: The Daily News, May 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, and 31, June 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10 and 12, 1948; The Interior News,
May 27; June 3, 10, 17, and 24; July 15, 1948; The Province, May 31, 1981; Terrace Omineca Herald, June 3, 1964;
Alaska Highway News, May 27 and June 3, 1948; The Daily Alaska Empire, May 25, 26, 27, and 29, June 1, 2, 3, 4, 7,
8, 11, 12, 14 and 15, 1948; The Daily Colonist, July 8, 1948; The Weekend Sun, July 25, 1993; Environment Canada
1991; Hutchison 1950 (p. 319); Telegram, August 12, 1948, F. W. A. Mapleton (Telkwa Citizens Assn.) to Hon. E.
Carson (Min. of Public Works). B.C. Ministry of Transportation and Highways, Terrace; File 32-21-37 Letter, July 6,
1948, W. E. Bottomley (Ass. Dist. Eng. Smithers) to J. C. Brady (Dist. Eng. Prince Rupert). B.C. Ministry of
Transportation and Highways, Terrace File 35-41-10 Letter, May 30, 1949, W. E. Bottomley (Ass. Dist. Eng.
Smithers) to H. W. Stevens (Dist. Eng. Prince Rupert). B.C. Ministry of Transportation and Highways, Terrace;
Special Warrant No. 4 Flood Control & Relief - Expenditures to March 31, 1949. B.C. Ministry of Transportation and
Highways, Terrace; File 2.30.0 Telegram, June 1, 1948, Hugh McDonald (Gen. Foreman Stewart) to J. C. Brady (Dist.
Eng. Prince Rupert). B.C. Ministry of Transportation and Highway, Terrace; File 2.40.0 Telegram, June 11, 1948, J.
C. Brady to Hugh McDonald. B.C. Ministry of Transportation and Highways, Terrace; File 2.30.0 Letter, April 27,
1949, R. H. Dunlop (Gen. Foreman Stewart) to J. W. Stevens (Dist. Eng. Prince Rupert). B.C. Ministry of
Transportation and Highways, Terrace).
The 1948 spring runoff due to hot weather caused severe flood conditions in British Columbia, Washington,
Oregon, Montana, Idaho, and elsewhere. On May 31, Premier Byron Johnson declared a state of emergency. Military
authorities were given the power to conscript citizens and requisition transport. By June 2, some 9,000 people in
British Columbia were homeless as a result of flooding. Four thousand Canadian soldiers were involved in the rescue
operations. The Fraser River inundated parts of Quesnel and Prince George. The Skeena and Bulkley rivers caused the
“worst flood since ’36.” (The Interior News, May 27, 1948).
Terrace was cut off from the outside world, after the highway and railroad links washed away. On May 25,
the rail line between Hazelton-Prince Rupert was cut at Kitwanga, where 50 ft. (15 m) of roadbed washed out. At
Kitwanga, an entirely new grade and track along a 1,200-ft. (360 m) long cutbank had to be built. The Northern Trans-
Provincial Highway was also cut. The worst section was a 400-m stretch 1 mi. (1.6 km) west of Shames. At East
Kwinitsa, just west of Little’s sawmill, the road was flooded with more than a foot (30 cm) of water. A small bridge at
East Kwinitsa was afloat and in a dangerous condition. On May 26, the CNR reported five more washouts: at Usk,
Pacific, Ritchie, and two near Dorreen. At various points there was water across the tracks and logs and debris were
knocking down telegraph poles.
The overall damage to the telegraph lines was worse than in 1936. In that year the flood hit only the Skeena
River. In 1948, the flooding damage encompassed the Bulkley, Nechako, and Fraser rivers as well (The Daily News,
May 31, 1948). About 1,000 ft. (300 m) of track washed out about 400 m west of Salvus. Just east of Terrace the
Skeena River flooded the highway. District Engineer J.C. Brady ordered the highway closed. The residents of
Braun’s Island, about a dozen families, were evacuated. The residents of Remo, Usk, and Pacific prepared to evacuate.
The Skeena River at Usk recorded a maximum daily discharge of 9,340 m 3 /s on May 26 (Environment Canada 1991).
It rose to a record level of 207 ft. (Terrace Omineca Herald).
On May 27, the Skeena River, running 8 ft. (2.4 m) above normal, carried away a bridge and washed out 100
ft. (30 m) of railroad track at Salvus. On that day the Skeena River reached a higher level than that of the “big flood of
1936.” The level of the lower Skeena rose to 12 ft. (3.6 m) above its normal high water mark. Compared to the 1936
flood, the rise was not as sudden and the grade and tracks were in better shape. At Salvus, floodwaters in the station
house of section foreman E.G. Storey reached the ceiling of the first floor. On May 27, all communications between
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