HISTORICAL NEWS SEARCH - Government of British Columbia

The Morice and Telkwa rivers rose rapidly. Floodwaters came close to reaching Telkwa’s Main Street,
overflow Eddy Park and threaten a riverbank home. Some low-lying farmlands along the river were inundated.
Driftwood Creek flooded and caused washing out two bridges and a section of the road near Harvey Ranch. The
Federal Fisheries hatchery on the Nanika River was reported to have been threatened.
Early on June 27, Saul Creek spilled its banks, washing out Highway and the CNR line. The creek, which
runs through Burns Lake, also flooded five homes and cutting off and closing three schools in Burns Lake. The
flooding was caused by 4 in. (100 mm) of rain in 36 hours. Inadequate culverts under two roadways, a local road and
Highway 16, backed up the fast flowing creek waters. Some village streets were covered with 6-18 in. (15-45 cm) of
water. At the height of the flood, the creek was 25 ft. (7.5 m) deep in some places and up to 75 ft. (22.5 m) wide. *1)
A temporary bridge was constructed across Highway 16. Another temporary bridge was erected across Highway 16
over a washout 16 mi. (25.6 km) east of Burns Lake at Tibbets Creek.
Though Saul Creek washed out a local road, it was dammed up by Highway 16. A section of Highway 16
was bulldozed out to allow the creek to run though and diverted its old bed past the elementary school. To permit the
construction of a playground, the creek was originally diverted. The Burns Lake schools, the local secondary and a
Catholic school, were expected to reopen on June 28. Because of the danger of Saul Creek undermining the building,
the elementary school would stay closed.
While crews worked to repair a washout at Decker Lake, 6 mi. (9.6 km) west of Burns Lake, two CNR trains
were delayed. Floodwaters washed out 15 ft. (4.5 m) of track at almost the same time as crews were repairing an earlier
washout at Tintagel 6 mi. east of Burns Lake.
At Tintagel, two homes were swept from their foundations into a raging creek. Another home was flooded at
Decker Lake. A number of sections of road along the 16-mi. (25.6 km) stretch between Tintagel-Decker Lake were
also threatened.
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*1) Saul Creek is usually 8-12 ft. (2.4-3.6 m) wide and 2-3 ft. (60-90 cm) deep. (The Vancouver Sun, June 27, 1962).
Ca. August 13, 1962
Event type: Glacial outburst flood.
Precipitation: Not applicable.
Source: Mathews 1965; Grove 1971; Evans (unpublished data).
Around August 13, Strohn Lake broke out under the ice for the fifth known time (Mathews 1965). *1)
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*1) On July 23, 1967, Strohn Lake ceased to become an ice-dammed lake when the toe of the Bear Glacier melted
through (Grove 1971), eliminating the jökulhlaup hazard in the Bear River valley until further glacier advance (Evans
(unpublished data).
August 19-20, 1962
Event type: Debris slide.
Precipitation: Aiyansh (55.6 mm/1 day), August 19, 1962; Kemano (41.4 mm/1 day), August 19, 1962; Ocean Falls
(141.7 mm/1 day), August 19, 1962; Falls River (131.2 mm/2 days), August 19-20, 1962; Prince Rupert (111.2 mm/2
days), August 19-20, 1962.
Source: Prince Rupert Daily News, August 20 and 21, 1962.
In Prince Rupert, 6.94 in. (176.3 mm) of rain fell in 96 hours. On August 20, a slide occurred near the North
Pacific-Cassiar canneries, closing the road and rail line. One truck and two cars were buried by the slide, which
narrowly missed a row of cannery houses. The slide was cleared the same day but washed out the next day. Wolf
Creek rose 3-5 ft. (0.9-1.5 m) overnight, flooding a house across from the pulpmill.
September 16-17, 1962
Event type: Flooding.
Precipitation: Falls River (74.7 mm/1 day), September 16, 1962; Prince Rupert (95.5 mm/2 days), September 16-17,
1962.
Source: Prince Rupert Daily News, September 17, 1962.
Prince Rupert recorded 1.43 in. (36.3 mm) of rain in six hours or 4.7 in. (119.4 mm) in 48 hours. Highway
16 flooded in four places near the old city dump.
September 29-30, 1962
Event type: Rockslide.
Precipitation: Falls River (55.1 mm/1 day), September 29, 1962; Kitimat Townsite (51.8 mm/1 day), September 29,
1962; Terrace (47.5 mm/2 days), September 29-30, 1962; Kemano (98.3 mm/2 days), September 29-30, 1962; Ocean
Falls (155.4 mm/2 days) September 29-30, 1962.
Source: J. Mekechuck, pers. comm. 1989. CN Railway, Edmonton, Alta.
CNR reported a rockslide at Mile 13.9, which closed the rail line for 13.5 hours.
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