HISTORICAL NEWS SEARCH - Government of British Columbia

On January 23, the Bella Coola River flooded its banks after several days of driving rain and record (high)
temperatures. Snow melted up to the 10,000-ft. (3,000 m) level. In Bella Coola, more than 40 people had to evacuate
to higher ground. On January 25, the evacuated residents returned to Bella Coola but the highway between
Hagensborg-Bella Coola was still flooded. The Hagensborg telephone exchange was knocked out by the high water.
Two bridges washed out and the town was surrounded by water up to 5 ft. (1.5 m) deep. A Department of Transport
Sikorsky helicopter stood by to evacuate the residents if needed.
On the Queen Charlotte Islands, creeks along the island highway flooded. Also some roads near Sandspit
were also reported flooded.
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*1) For the first time, a semi-permanent winter crew from Terrace was stationed at Kwinitsa. This would enable them
to work in both directions, thus saving time not having to come out from Terrace (The Daily News, January 13, 1966).
January 23-26, 1966
Event type: Severe snow storm.
Precipitation: Kitimat Townsite (55.9 cm snow/1 day), January 25, 1966; Terrace A (19.6 cm snow/2 days), January
25-26, 1966.
Source: The Northern Sentinel, January 27 and February 10, 1966.
Kitimat reported a three-day continuous snowstorm with winds gusting to 40 mph (64 km/h). According to
records kept at the Kitimat Fire Hall, the storm that dumped 5 ft. (1.5 m) of fine dry snow, brought the winter’s total
snow to 198 in. (502.9 cm). *1)
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*1) According to records kept by Alcan at the Kitimat Works, the total precipitation for January was 12.55 in. (318.8
mm): 103 in. (261.6 cm) of snow and 2.25 in. (57.2 mm) of rain (The Northern Sentinel, February 10, 1966).
February 8-10, 1966
Event type: Snow avalanches.
Precipitation: Prince Rupert (103.2 mm/3 days), February 8-10, 1966; Terrace (16.0 mm/3 days), February 8-10, 1966;
Tasu Sound (63.8 mm/1 day), February 9, 1966.
Source: The Northern Sentinel, February 10 and 17, 1966; The Daily News, February 10 and 11, 1966.
Between February 1-10, 4 ft. (1.2 m) of snow fell on the Rainbow Summit east of Prince Rupert. Kitimat
recorded 140 in. (3.56 m) of snow until February 11. Early February, Kitimat recorded almost 5 ft. (1.5 m) of snow in
five days. According to records kept at the Kitimat Fire Hall, 59 in. (149.9 cm) of snow fell since February 1, bringing
the winter’s total snow to 302 in. (767.1 cm). This caused the heaviest snow load in the town’s 12-year history.
Around February 5-6, the Kitimat Fire Department tested the snowload on Kitimat roofs at 25 lb./ft. 3 (407.1 kg/m 3 ).
In Kitimat, the roof of “Bravo’s Welding Shop” collapsed, killing one man. The metal roof of the Quonset-type
building collapsed, trapping three men inside. The building erected in 1959 was a total loss.
Highway 16 and the rail line between Prince Rupert-Terrace were blocked by slides and closed. The slide
blocking both the highway and rail line at Mile 41 was 150 ft. (45 m) long and 20 ft. (6 m) deep. Another slide came
down 35 mi. (56 km) west of Terrace. A series of smaller slides at Mile 31 west of Terrace only blocked the highway.
On February 11, the small slush slides near Kwinitsa were cleared and the rail line reopened.
February 15-16, 1966
Event type: Flooding and snow avalanches.
Precipitation: Falls River (64.3 mm/2 days), February 15-16, 1966; Aiyansh (20.6 mm/1 day), February 16, 1966;
Prince Rupert M. Circ (20.8 mm/1 day), February 16, 1966; Prince Rupert (43.2 mm/1 day), February 16, 1966.
Source: The Daily News, February 15, 16, 17 and 18, 1966; J. Mekechuck, pers. comm. 1989. CN Railway,
Edmonton, Alta.
On February 16, CNR reported washouts and snowslides at Mile 13.5, 14.0, 43.6, and 50.1. The rail line was
closed for 13 hours.
February 19-21, 1966
Event type: Snow avalanches.
Precipitation: Falls River (97.8 mm/2 days), February 19-20, 1966; Prince Rupert M. Circ (75.9 mm/3 days), February
19-21, 1966.
Source: J. Mekechuck, pers. comm. 1989. CN Railway, Edmonton, Alta.
On February 21, CNR reported snowslides at Mile 40.7 and 43.8. The rail line was closed for 12 hours.
March 26-31, 1966
Event type: Flooding.
Precipitation: Falls River (82.6 mm/1 day), March 27, 1966; Stewart (67.5 mm/2 days), March 27-28, 1966; Tasu
Sound (115.8 mm/1 day), March 28, 1966; Kitimat (167.4 mm/2 days), March 28-29, 1966; Kitimat Townsite (139.2
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