HISTORICAL NEWS SEARCH - Government of British Columbia

Precipitation: Not applicable.
Source: The Interior News, September 22, 1949.
Around the middle of September, a rockslide came down in a rock cut 2 mi. (3.2 km) east of Burns Lake. It
occurred as a freight train was passing and resulted in the derailment of seven cars and the disruption of rail service.
One car derailed which then piled up six others.
A few days later, when temporary tracks had been built around the slide and derailed cars, one car of a
second freight train derailed, again disrupting traffic. On September 20, service was back to normal.
October 8-13, 1949
Event type: Rockslide.
Precipitation: Falls River (230.0 mm/5 days), October 8-12, 1949; Ocean Falls (434.2 mm/6 days), October 8-13,
1949; Prince Rupert (261.3 mm/7 days), October 8-14, 1949; Terrace (96.4 mm/7 days), October 8-14, 1949; Langara
(50.8 mm/1 day), October 8, 1949; Falls River (177.7 mm/3 days), October 10-12, 1949; Stewart (119.9 mm/2 days),
October 12-13, 1949; Sandspit A, (30.2 mm/1 day), October 13, 1949; Langara (51.6 mm/1 day), October 13, 1949.
Source: The Daily News, October 12, 13, 14, 15, 17, 19, 21 and 25, 1949; Ocean Falls Reporter, October 15, 1949; The
Daily Alaska Empire, October 11, 12 and 13, 1949; MAST Ship Listing 1946-1983; Lewis and Moran 1985.
A gale, which started near the Aleutian Island Chain, swept into the Gulf of Alaska. The storm headed south
to the Pacific Northwest. Winds of 50 mph (80 km/h) were recorded at the entrance of the Strait of Juan de Fuca. On
October 10, a maximum wind of 76 kn. (128 km/h) was recorded. The number of MAST observations with wind over
48 kn. (89 km/h) was four (Lewis and Moran 1985). The gill-netter Rowena went missing in Hecate Strait on October
10. The air and sea search was halted on October 13 because of the high winds.
Near Prince Rupert, the water levels in the Shawatlan and Woodworth watersheds recorded “unprecedented”
heights, not reached since the hydroplant and the city’s waterworks were installed there in 1914. The levels of the
lakes and streams were more than 6 ft. (1.8 m) above normal. A rockslide took out three lengths of the 45-in. (1.14 m)
diameter water main, which supplies the water from Woodworth Lake to the Northern B.C. Power Co. Shawatlan
hydro plant. The slide came down approximately 0.5 mi. (800 m) above the powerhouse, near the junction with North
Fork Creek. Both the power and water supply to Prince Rupert were cut. *1) Schools and several industrial plants
were closed because of the lack of water for their heating plants. An emergency line was hooked up to the Mount
Oldfield storage reservoir at Roosevelt Park. The higher residential areas had their water supplied by tanker truck on
October 15. The tentative repair date for the water line was October 26.
Overnight October 14-15, heavy rains caused the water levels in the Bella Coola River to rise 5 ft. (1.5 m).
Near Ocean Falls, heavy southeast storms and rains caused all rivers and lakes in the vicinity to rise to alltime
highs. Pacific Mills had to open its dam gates. For the first time ever, all 13 gates were open while the water
levels on the lake continued to rise. The current running under the bridge to the mill threatened to wash away the
piling.
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*1) The Prince Rupert 18-in. (45.7-cm) water main ran out of the 45-in. (1.14 m) main at the Shawatlan hydro plant.
December 13-15, 1949
Event type: Severe snowstorm.
Precipitation: Not applicable.
Source: Prince George Citizen, December 15, 1949.
In the middle of December 15, Prince George experienced the heaviest snowfall in 20 years. *1) Traffic in the city
and district was paralysed. The snow started falling at 4 p.m. on December 13 and continued for 44 hours. On December 14,
11.5 in. (28.75 cm) were recorded in 24 hours. By 9 a.m. on December 15, an additional 9 in. (22.5 cm) had fallen. Summit
Lake reported 26 in. (65 cm) of snow, blocking the Hart Highway and isolating residents.
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*1) This was the heaviest snowfall since 1928 when 27.5 in. (68.75 cm) fell in one day. (Prince George Citizen, December
15, 1949).
December 22, 1949
Event type: Icejam flooding.
Precipitation: Not applicable.
Source: Prince George Citizen, December 22 and 29, 1949; February 2, and 16, 1950; The Daily Colonist, December 24,
1949.
Early on December 22, an icejam in the Nechako River caused flooding. The river had been watched during the
previous weeks as ice started piling up in the Nechako River west of Lamb’s Mill. The icejam was solid enough for a man to
walk across the river. Overnight December 21-22, the river rose 4 ft. (1.2 m). At the confluence of the Nechako and Fraser
rivers, 200 homes were threatened and 25 ac. (10 ha) of mill property was under water. Seven out of 11 district saw mills
closed, leaving 300 workers idle. Property damage was estimated at $75,000. (The Daily Colonist, December 24, 1949).
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