HISTORICAL NEWS SEARCH - Government of British Columbia

This third recorded jökulhlaup event under Salmon Glacier near Stewart was first recognised on September
11. Summit Lake had been overflowing northward for less than 25 days (August 19-September 11). After allowance
made for a substantial inflow into Summit Lake during a rainy period in early September, it seems clear that leakage
was occurring through Salmon Glacier as early as September 1. The flood terminated on September 17 when the lake
basin was nearly but not completely emptied (Mathews 1973). *1)
The steel-truss bridge across the Salmon River at Nine Mile was swept off its foundation, folded in half, and
carried downstream several hundreds of metres. *2) There is no evidence that this jökulhlaup was any larger than the
previous two, and the demise of the bridge may have resulted from the cumulative undermining of its piers.
Alternately, perhaps the accumulation of alluvium downstream during the earlier floods raised the water level at the
bridge and thus contributed to its destruction. A photograph taken the morning after the end of the jökulhlaup shows a
large bar of cobbles and small boulders immediately downstream of the remnants of the Nine Mile bridge. This bar
formed in the lee of the bridge during the ebbing stage of the jökulhlaup, showing that significant amounts of gravel
can be transported in such events (Mathews and Clague 1993).
-------------------------------
*1) After this jökulhlaup the lake no longer filled to overflowing but instead switched to a cycle of annual outbursts
with the possible exceptions of 1969 and 1973 (Mathews and Clague 1993).
*2) Following the December 1961 jökulhlaup, the bridge was written off. It sustained further damage during the
November, 1965 jökulhlaup.
September 20-24, 1967
Event type: Flooding.
Precipitation: Kildala (112.0 mm/3 days), September 20-22, 1967; Aiyansh (136.1 mm/4 days), September 20-23,
1967; Kitimat 2 (192.8 mm/4 days), September 20-23, 1967; Kitimat Townsite (155.4 mm/4 days), September 20-23,
1967; Prince Rupert M. Circ (222.4 mm/4 days), September 20-23, 1967; Falls River (222.6 mm/5 days), September
20-24, 1967; Tasu Sound (64.8 mm/1 day), September 22, 1967; Prince Rupert (145.4 mm/2 days), September 22-23,
1967; Aiyansh (109.2 mm/2 days), September 22-23, 1967; Langara (88.7 mm/3 days), September 22-24, 1967.
Source: The Daily News, September 25, 1967; Northern Sentinel, September 27, 1967; Terrace Omineca Herald,
September 27, 1967; The Vancouver Sun, September 24, 1967; Environment Canada 1991; J. Mekechuck, pers. comm.
1989. CN Railway, Edmonton, Alta.
Between September 20-23, Prince Rupert reported 7.24 in. (183.9 mm) in four days. On September 23
alone, 3.48 in. (88.39 mm) of rain fell. Highway 16 between Prince Rupert-Terrace was flooded in several locations.
Worst hit was a 2-mi. (3.2 km) section of highway between Diana Creek-Prudhomme Lake. At Taylor Lake and
Prudhomme Lake, the highway was flooded with 2.5 ft. (0.75 m) of water. At Diana Creek, 15 mi. (24 km) east of
Prince Rupert, the highway was flooded with 2 ft. (60 cm) of water. The highway was closed for seven hours. A small
rockslide occurred at Amsbury Bluff, 8 mi. (12.8 km) west of Terrace. The Nass Valley road was closed as a result of
a washed-out approach at Star Creek.
In Kitimat, the bridge across Goose Creek near the dump flooded. On September 23 the Kitimat River below
Hirsch Creek recorded a maximum instantaneous discharge of 1,250 m 3 /s and a maximum daily discharge of 886 m 3 /s
(Environment Canada 1991). The Kitimat River dike, just north of the Haisla bridge, was threatened. It had to be
raised to a safe level.
CNR reported washouts at Mile 24.5 and 78.6. The rail line was closed for 10 hours. The rail traffic was
delayed. Several small washouts occurred at Sockeye, Tyee, and the February 1967 derailment site.
December 1-2, 1967
Event type: Storm surge and tidal flooding.
Precipitation: Falls River (102.4 mm/2 days), December 1-2, 1967; Sandspit A (58.7 mm/2 days), December 1-2, 1967;
Masset (79.8 mm/2 days), December 1-2, 1967; Prince Rupert M. Circ (27.4 mm/2 days), December 1-2, 1967.
Source: The Daily News, December 4, 1967; Juneau Alaska Empire, December 2, 1967; B.C. Ministry of Public Works
1969 (p. C 109); Lewis and Moran 1985 (p. 5.80, Storm No. 36); Mariners Weather Log, Vol. 12, No. 3, 1968. *1)
On December 1-2, winds gusting up to 60 mph (96.6 km/h) caused widespread damage and power outages in
Prince Rupert. Portions of the highway between Galloway Rapids-Port Edward were covered by water. The wind
whipped the high tides across the road. No damage was done to the road.
The maximum wind reported in this extremely deep and intense storm was 80 kn. (148 km/h) by a ship at
47.3 o N, 138.3 o W on December 1. There were three further ship reports of 70 kn. (130 km/h) or more and a total of 42
reports of storm force winds. The maximum land wind reported was 72 kn. (133 km/) from Cape St. James and three
other land stations reported storm force winds (Lewis and Moran 1985). The Canadian weathership Quadra was
damaged during the hurricane force storm with winds gusting up to 100 mph (160.9 km/h). The ship had to return to
Victoria. Weathership Papa, 980 mi. (1,568 km) northwest of Vancouver, reported 50-ft. (15 m) high waves. The
Alaska State Ferry schedule was disrupted by heavy winds gusting to 50 mph (80 km/h) along the Alaska panhandle.
Off Ketchikan, the southbound ferry Taku had to take shelter at Pennock Island and later at Ward Cove.
99