Jam On River Expands, Businesses Take Precautions

By 250 News

Growing pool on McAloney Road

Prince George, BC. – The jam on the Nechako River is now 5 ½ kilometres long.  The light industrial area on the north side of the river, east of the John Hart Bridge, has started moving equipment.  Excel Transport has moved all of its trucks to the west end of the site, as there is a growing pool of water in their existing parking lot.  McAloney Road is closed at that parking lot.

The City has just dumped a load of sand at the Diversified Transportation site.  That yard is normally home for the school buses in the city.  The buses are now being parked at the Park Hill Centre, about 1 km west of the Diversified yard. 

(At right, Diversified Operations Manager, Linda Wiebe brushes snow off  ceramic "guard dog" as water creeps  closer to office)

Operations Manager Linda Wiebe says they will start sandbagging around the outside of the office, but if that fails, they will move all their dispatch equipment to the shop which is on higher ground.  Diversified has already   pushed snow into a wall formation around the office, but the water is still seeping through.

At City Hall, City Clerk Don Shaffer says the evacuation alerts remain in place, and the local state of emergency remains in place.  He says plans to protect the  city’s drinking water system with gabion dykes have been delayed by a day as  the focus  has been on providing sand to those who want to try and protect their property. “The pump house is in no immediate danger, so we have been focusing on helping people get the sandbags and sand they need.”  Shaffer says they have received dozens of calls from residents and businesses wanting the materials.

The only good news is that the water from the Nechako seems to have cut a path along the south bank at the east end of River Road. Shaffer says that doesn’t mean the worst is over.  He says Prince George is likely to be in this flood situation for a few more days.

13 homes remain evacuated, and businesses along River Road  have shut down.  That means hundreds of people  are off work until the water recedes.

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