Protecting Some Areas from Flood While Clean Up Continues in Others

By 250 News

    

Prince George, B.C. - The ice jam on the Nechako Rier  shifted last night, sending millions of  litres of water  into  the River Road area.  

(At right,  crews pump water from area  at Brink Forest products, click on photo  for  video)

Fire Chief Jeff Rowland says there was a full eight inches of water  pooling over  the road,  near Brink Forest Products, TDB and Winton Global.  Crews have been manning the pumps all night and  all day  clearing the water from the areas.   Emergency  staff are now assessing if they will  set up a second row of gabion dikes along this region  or stack  the dikes  to create a 2 metre high wall.

There was also new flooding reported in the McALoney road area, and  at PWB, however,  City staff say had there not been  a new earth berm in place, the  level of water and resulting damage would have been far worse.

When the ice shifted, the area near Foothills Bridge saw the water level  rise 3-5 feet and less than 25 minutes later, it had dropped 4 feet. 

The shift in the  jam means the jam is now  compacted from 9.5 kilometers in length  to itès current maximum length of  6 kilometres in length but  crews are continuing to work to protect homes along the south side of Morning Place. 

( at left,  crews keep  working to install gabion dikes along south side of Morning Place, click on photo for video)

Today marks the start of the fourth week of the Prince George Ice Jam & Flood.  A renewed Local State of Emergency begins today and will be in place for another week.  These declarations have to be renewed each week as they are only in effect for a 7 day period.

Yesterday’s ‘ice shifts’ and ‘spot flooding’ has meant a return to Level 2 coverage for the Emergency Operations Centre (EOC).  This means round the clock coverage of the main contact telephone line at 561-7707.

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