HISTORICAL NEWS SEARCH - Government of British Columbia

July 12-14, 1956
Event type: Flooding.
Precipitation: Not available.
Source The Vancouver Herald, July 16, 1956.
On July 12-13, sudden floods caused washouts of culverts and bridges along a 300-mi. (480 km) stretch of
the Alaska Highway. The washouts left at least 20 crews from oil companies stranded in the Peace River area.
On July 14, about 500 tourists were stranded in Dawson Creek. Additional flood damage reported along the
Alaska Highway would delay reopening of the highway till July 17.
October 4-6, 1956
Event type: Severe storm.
Precipitation: Kemano (45.2 mm/1 day), October 4, 1956; Aiyansh (62.5 mm/1 day), October 5, 1956; Sandspit A
(30.5 mm/1 day), October 5, 1956; Prince Rupert (40.1 mm/1 day), October 5, 1956; Terrace (39.4 mm/1 day),
October 5, 1956.
Source: The Daily News, October 6 and 9, 1956; B.C. Ministry of Public Works 1958 (p. J 39).
On October 5, heavy rain and a southeast gale with winds up to 60 mph (96.6 km/h) were reported from
Prince Rupert. During six hours, 0.97 in. (24.6 mm) of rain fell. Basements were flooded and a garage on Atlin
Avenue was damaged. The benches on the Court House lawn were “tossed around like cardboard.” The heavy rains of
September and October seriously hampered work on reconstruction and improvements on Highway 16 between Prince
Rupert-Terrace (B.C. Ministry of Public Works 1958). Between Prince Rupert-Woodcock, 45 telephone poles went
out. The CBC/CFPR Radio network connection, the CN telegraph, and the Prince Rupert Telephone Department were
all interrupted. A freight train was derailed in the Kwinitsa tunnel, delaying the westbound passenger train.
On October 6, heavy snow and strong winds knocked out the wire communications between Terrace-
Smithers. Many uprooted trees were across the tracks and wires.
November 2-4, 1956
Event type: Flooding and landslides.
Precipitation: Aiyansh (97.0 mm/2 days), November 2-3, 1956; Kemano (129.6 mm/2 days), November 2-3, 1956;
Falls River (159.2 mm/2 days), November 2-3, 1956. Prince Rupert (182.9 mm/2 days), November 2-3, 1956; Terrace
(168.2 mm/2 days), November 2-3, 1956; Kitimat (228.6 mm/2 days), November 2-3, 1956; Smithers (30.0 mm/1 day),
November 3, 1956; Ocean Falls (201.6 mm/2 days), November 3-4, 1954; Namu (88.4 mm/1 day), November 4, 1956.
Source: The Daily News, November 3 and 5, 1956; The Interior News, November 8, 1956; Terrace Omineca Herald,
November 8, 1956; Kitimat Northern Sentinel, November 6 and 16, 1956; Ann. Rep., Eng. Sec., Dep. Hwys. Prince
Rupert Dist. 1956-57. B.C. Ministry of Transportation and Highways, Terrace.
A heavy rain and snowfall occurred in the Prince Rupert-Terrace-Kitimat area. Almost 6 in. (152.4 mm) of
rain fell in Prince Rupert in 24 hours. Terrace recorded the heaviest rainfall ever in a 24-hour period with 93.0 mm.
Highway 16 between Prince Rupert-Terrace was closed to traffic for two days as a result of seven washouts.
Flooding occurred at Prudhomme Lake where the road was covered with 3 ft. (90 cm) of water. The rail line between
Prince Rupert-Terrace was cut in at least three places by a rockslide at Kwinitsa and other slides and washouts. Ten
cars of a westbound freight train derailed near Port Essington, interrupting the train traffic for one day. The telegraph
lines of CNR were cut in at least three places. The CBC radio signal, which is fed to the local booster station through
the CN telegraph cable, was cut off. BC Tel reported 393 long distance telephone poles down. The telephone line
between Prince Rupert-Burns Lake sustained heavy damage from the 8 in. (20 cm) of heavy wet snow. The snow
downed over 150 poles. On a 7-mi. (11.2 km) stretch between Woodcock-Kitwanga alone, 30 poles came down.
In Prince Rupert a power failure occurred. It was caused by a mud and rockslide behind the city at Oldfield,
which wiped out four power poles.
In Terrace the rail traffic was cut in all directions. The rail line to Kitimat was blocked for three days by a
slide at Mile 52 and other slides and washouts. The telephone and power lines between Terrace and the airport were
cut. Kitimat was completely cut off, stranding many people over the weekend. The Kitimat River flooded the road
near the Beaver Pond and opposite the old Ball Park. A dragline was threatened to be washed into the Kitimat River.
The municipal sewer outfall installation below the dike sustained extensive damage.
On November 3, nearly 18 in. (45.7 cm) of heavy wet snow fell in Smithers. The heavy snowfall that
occurred in Smithers on November 3-4 did not extend east beyond Walcott, between Telkwa-Houston. On November
4, a number of telegraph poles were knocked down in the Smithers-Telkwa area under the weight of the heavy snow.
Service was still out on November 7. The storm also disrupted some power services in the Smithers district. On
November 3, some cars of a freight train derailed west of Houston at Barrett, delaying the westbound passenger train.
November 14, 1956
Event type: Rockslide.
Precipitation: Not applicable.
Source: The Daily News, November 15, 1956.
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