HISTORICAL NEWS SEARCH - Government of British Columbia

Precipitation: Not applicable.
Source: The Daily Colonist, February 7, 1953; The Interior News, April 16, 1953.
During the late summer-early fall, a 200,000-ton rockslide came down in the Babine River canyon. Water
backing up behind the slide in the narrow gorge created a lake more than a mile (1.6 km) long. Elsewhere, it was
reported to be 500,000 tons (The Daily Colonist, February 7, 1953). The slide, which tumbled down 400 ft. (120 m) of
sheer canyon walls, presented many hazards and months of continuous labour to clear. *1) Work on the project began
during the winter of 1951-52 with the construction of a $90,000 road from Hazelton to the slide.
In the summer of 1952, the slide caused the death of thousands of sockeye salmon. To provide passage for
the 1952 run of run of sockeye and coho salmon a narrow channel was blasted along the base of the slide.
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*1) The cost of clearing to the Federal government, which was just under $500,000, was completed by General
Construction Co. Ltd. of Vancouver, B.C.
Early July 1951
Event type: Rain-on-snow?
Precipitation: Not applicable.
Source: Coates 1992 (p. 201).
During the summer of 1951 when skeleton highway crews were away from the maintenance camps, some 70
washouts occurred along the Alaska Highway from the south to the north ends of Kluane Lake. Brigadier-General H.W.
Lowe, commander of the Northwest Highway System from 1951 to 1955, stated, “we experienced as bad a flash flood as
ever recorded” in this stretch of about 60 miles. Every small bridge disappeared, streams changed their courses, and about
100 tourists were stranded between breaks in the road.
Marvin Armitage recalls that when he was working at Mile 245, the rains came “like clockwork” early in July. The
rainfall combined with summer melt coursed off the mountainsides, washing out culverts and damaging the road. (Coates
1992).
October 26-28, 1951
Event type: Rain-on-snow flooding.
Precipitation: Aiyansh (89.4 mm/1 day), October 26, 1951; Langara (31.5 mm/1 day), October 26, 1951; Aiyansh
(119.6 mm/2 days), October 26-27, 1951; Kemano (117.8 mm/2 days), October 26-27, 1951; Falls River (162.9 mm/2
days), October 26-27, 1951; Prince Rupert (140.4 mm/2 days), October 26-27, 1951; Smithers (80.5 mm/2 days),
October 26-27, 1951; Smithers A (75.7 mm/2 days), October 26-27, 1951; Namu (49.0 mm/1 day), October 27, 1951;
Terrace (119.1 mm/2 days), October 27-28, 1951.
Source: The Daily News, October 27, 29 and 30, 1951; The Omineca Herald, November 2, 1951; The Interior News,
November 1, 1951; File 28-41-10 Letter, November 2, 1951, L. E. Smith (Div. Eng.) to N. M. McCallum (Chief Eng.
Victoria). B.C. Ministry of Transportation and Highways, Terrace.
Prince Rupert experienced heavy rain with 4 in. (100 mm) in 24 hours and winds gusting at 40 mph (64.4
km/h). Stewart received 15 in. (37.5 cm) of snow. The telegraph and telephone lines were out until October 29. On
that day two main sections of Prince Rupert were still without telephone service because of water in the cables.
The CNR rail line between Prince Rupert-Terrace was closed for several days, interrupting traffic for three
days. Numerous small bridges and culverts were undermined. On the lower Skeena River, several washouts occurred
near Amsbury and on a 6-mi. (9.6 km) stretch between Salvus-Kwinitsa. A large washout and slide occurred 3 mi. (4.8
km) east of Skeena. Near the Khyex River a large slide occurred. Several bridge approaches washed out and near
Kwinitsa the line was out in three places.
The highway between Terrace-Prince Rupert was closed for several days. A logjam in Kloyah (Kloiya)
Creek caused flooding in the Prudhomme Lake area. Washouts occurred near Kasiks River and Amsbury. Shoulder
erosion occurred between Mile 34.9-30.0; at Mile 30.1, some 300 ft. (90 m) of shoulder washed out; and there were
minor shoulder washouts between Mile 29.1-28.4 (the mileages are all from Prince Rupert). During the night of
October 26, some streams east of Terrace went on the rampage, cutting the highway early on October 27.
In the Terrace area, risks of washouts occurred near Manson Creek and the Copper River Ferry. The Copper
River bridge was endangered. The Copper River flooded the road between the two bridges with 1.5 ft. (45 cm) of
water. The water levels in Lakelse Lake came up 4 ft. (1.2 m) during the 36-hour storm. The creeks flowing into the
lake overflowed their banks, and some cabins in the lower area were surrounded by water. In Terrace, basements were
flooded in the Lakelse Avenue/Apsley Street area. The water came down the hill behind the Canadian Cellulose camp.
Drainage from part of Kalum Street flooded Terrace Building Supply on Greig Avenue. At Manson Creek, 11 mi.
(17.6 km) east of Terrace, two washouts occurred.
On October 26-27, the government experimental station near Smithers recorded 3.17 in. (80.5 mm) of rain in
two days. A torrential downpour brought rivers and creeks to the flood level. The Telkwa River, which was reported
to have risen 6 ft. (1.8 m), threatened to flood the town’s main thoroughfare. West of Houston, three small washouts
just east of Walcott held up the passenger train for 20 hours on October 28.
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