HISTORICAL NEWS SEARCH - Government of British Columbia

October 5, 1960
Event type: Flooding.
Precipitation: Not available.
Source: Victoria Daily Times, October 8, 1960.
On October 5, the Bear River overflowed its banks, cutting away large sections of the Cassiar road near
Stewart. Most of the road would have to be rebuilt. John Greer, superintendent of the Dawson, Wade and Emil
Anderson construction company, reached Stewart after walking in from the Bear Pass construction camp. It also left a
road construction camp housing 50 people at Snow Lake, 21 mi. (33.6 km) north of Stewart isolated.
October 6, 1960
Event type: Glacial outburst flood.
Precipitation: Not applicable.
Source: Mathews 1965 (pp. 46-52); Evans (unpublished data).
On October 6, Strohn Lake, at the head of the Bear River valley, suddenly drained, causing considerable
flood damage to a road under construction from Stewart through Bear River Pass. *1) The volume of water released in
the flood was estimated at 400 million ft. 3 (11,320,000 m 3 ) (Mathews 1965).
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*1) A sudden draining of Strohn Lake was recorded for the first time on October 19, 1958. Between October 26-28,
1959, the lake drained again (Mathews 1965). Between 1961-1963, trenches were cut on several occasions across the
ice and in surficial materials to lower the level of the lake and reduce the pressure on the ice dam. These measures,
however, did not prevent significant jökulhlaups (approximate volume of 11.3 million m 3 ) occurring in 1961 and 1962.
(Mathews 1965; Evans (unpublished data).
October 13-16, 1960
Event type: Severe storm.
Precipitation: Smithers (62.2 mm/3 days), October 13-15, 1960; Falls River (81.8 mm/1 day), October 14, 1960;
Aiyansh (50.8 mm/1 day), October 14, 1960; Langara (30.7 mm/1 day), October 14, 1960; Prince Rupert (65.8 mm/1
day), October 14, 1960; Ocean Falls (123.2 mm/1 day), October 14, 1960; Terrace (48.5 mm/1 day), October 14, 1960;
Kitimat Townsite (113.1 mm/2 days), October 14-15, 1960; Kitimat (120.1 mm/2 days), October 14-15, 1960;
Smithers A (66.4 mm/3 days), October 14-16, 1960.
Source: Northern Sentinel, October 20, 1960; Prince Rupert Daily News, October 17, 1960; The Interior News,
October 20, 1960; Environment Canada 1991; MAST Ship Listing 1946-1983; Lewis and Moran 1985.
Prince Rupert reported a southeast gale with winds of 60 mph (96.6 km/h) gusting up to 70 mph (112.7
km/h). On October 14, the maximum wind recorded was 65 kn. (120 km/h). The number of MAST observations with
winds over 48 kn. (89 km/h) was four (Lewis and Moran 1985). The storm caused a break in Prince Rupert’s power
supply. The F.E. Hunt Building on the waterfront between Babcock Fisheries and the Northern Fisherman’s Cold
Storage was blown down. The 42-year-old pioneer building collapsed and was totally wrecked.
Heavy rain over the weekend was reported from Kitimat. The Kitimat River came to near flood levels,
taking stumps and whole trees downstream. On October 15, the Zymagotitz River recorded a maximum instantaneous
discharge of 5,560 cfs (157 m 3 /s) (Environment Canada 1991).
On October 14-15, the government experimental farm near Smithers recorded over 2 in. (50 mm) of rain in
48 hours, making it a near record rainfall. Overnight 2 in. of rain fell in 12 hours. The rain followed high winds that
reached 60 mph (96 km/h). The King Street drainage flume blocked, causing water to back up and overflow the ditch
for a full block along Railway Avenue.
January 12-14, 1961
Event type: Landslide.
Precipitation: Falls River (125.2 mm/3 days), January 12-14, 1961; Ocean Falls (183.4 mm/2 days) January 13-14,
1961.
Source: Ocean Falls Advertiser, January 23, 1961.
On January 13 at 11:00 p.m., a slide blocked the road between Ocean Falls-Martin Valley. A log,
approximately 2 ft. (60 cm) in diameter, slid down the mountainside on the highway at the entrance of the bridge. It
fell against the guy line of a power pole, cutting electricity to Martin Valley. Ocean Falls was without power for 3.5
hours, after two lines shorted outside No. 5 Apartment. Heavy rain and gale force winds on January 13 caused very
little damage at Ocean Falls and Martin Valley, compared to Vancouver Island and the Mainland. During the storm,
all gates were open at the dam.
February 4-5, 1961
Event type: Flooding.
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