Les To Visit Skeena Region Today

By 250 News

CN  rail cars span a  bridge,  trying to anchor the tracks and the span  on the Zymacord river near Terrace (photo submitted by Gordon Parfitt)

Solicitor General and Minister for Public Safety, John Les is   heading to  the Terrace region today to assess the flood situation there.  One thing is certain, he will have to fly in.

Terrace and Kitimat are without road or rail access into the communities as a result of the floods in that region.

Highway 16 is cut off by water flowing across the road 37 kilometres east of Terrace. The highway between Terrace and Port Edward has also been cut off due to flood water crossing the highway in a number of locations. Some traffic had been able to make it around water problems by detouring around by Cranberry Junction to the north, but that access has also been cut by wash outs.

For Kitimat, Trafford Hall,  the Municipal Manager for the District of Kitimat,  says  "We are not worried about this flood event, our river ( the Kitimat) doesn’t pose the same problem, because of our significant diking system, no homes face any problems.  Our floods tend to come in the fall."

For residents of Remo Bar an evacuation alert has been issued as   the flood waters are  having a  serious impact.

Homes, like the one at  right,  are   facing severe flooding.

 At left,  residents can be seen in the background,  loading  up a truck  to  head to higher ground.

While  photo  at right  shows  home that  won’t be  taking  any real estate tours for the  time being.

Meantime the CN rail line from Smithers to Prince Rupert has been shut down as a precaution due to flood waters that is,in  many cases, is licking at the rail tracks.

(at left, rail tracks act as dike protecting road from the  rising waters of the Skeena River  photo submitted by Gordon Parfitt)

In some places, the rail line is the only defence left from the Skeena River flooding out homes along railroad tracks.

One resident along the Skeena said Tuesday night that if you took the rail tracks away  “We would be under 12 feet (3 ½ Metres) of water. "

The number of rails cars being used to try and hold bridges in place along the Skeena and Bulkley is not known. Kelli  Svendsen says the Superintendent for that region is hoping to have updates  this morning about how many cars are being used to hold the tracks in place and where they are  located.

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