The City of Prince George is alerting residents living on Farrell Street near Paddlewheel Park that there is a significant risk of flooding in their area.
Residents are advised to be ready to leave their properties on short notice should an evacuation order be issued. No evacuation orders have yet been given. Yesterday evening, members of Prince George Fire Rescue Services delivered evacuation alerts to 18 homes.
The City of Prince George issues evacuation alerts to notify residents of a risk to their property and their personal well-being that may also prevent emergency vehicles from accessing their property. The city’s Emergency Operations Centre issued the alert today because the level of the Fraser River is nearing the 9.0 metre mark, when water typically begins to interfere with sewer systems in the area. Residences on Farrell Street could start to flood when the river reaches about 9.4 metres. The BC River Forecast Centre is indicating that that the Fraser River may begin to reach flood levels later this week.
Residents under alert are strongly advised to have an emergency kit readily available to enable them to quickly leave their properties in the event of an evacuation order. Please visit the Province’s PreparedBC website for information about how to prepare one of these kits. For up-to-date information about river forecasts, please visit the BC River Forecast Centre website.
Sandbagging supplies, gabion diking delivered
The City of Prince George has obtained about 365m of gabion diking from the Province of BC and crews will soon begin to install it along Farrell Street and Regents Crescent. Road access is being kept open for the time being. The City has also delivered a load of sand to the north end of Farrell Street for residents who wish to begin sandbagging to protect their homes and properties. Residents wishing to procure sandbags can contact the City Service Centre at 250.561.7600.
Since late last week, the City’s Emergency Operations Centre has been activated at level one, its lowest level, which means the Centre is in a state of readiness due to flood risk and has access to provincial government emergency funding. A section of the Heritage River Trail remains closed from the Canoe Launch at Cottonwood Island Nature Park to Taylor Drive. The island in Cottonwood Island Park also remains closed, as is Paddlewheel Park. Crews with the City of Prince George continue to monitor river levels on a daily basis.
