City staff and crews with Prince George Fire and Rescue Services will be monitoring the river through the weekend in daily shifts due to high water levels. Estimates from the BC River Forecast Centre indicate that the Fraser River running through Prince George is levelling off at about 9.3 metres this afternoon. Levels are projected to drop through the weekend and into next week.
Yesterday, as a precautionary measure, the city notified the B.C. government that it has activated its Emergency Operations Centre. No emergency alerts or orders have yet been declared. The province has the area under an official flood watch.
On Wednesday, city staff contacted residents of Farrell Street to advise them of the possibility of flooding. Sand and sandbags are available to residents of Farrell Street and are positioned at the north end of the street.
A large section of nearby Paddlewheel Park is under water. The Park and Hazelton Park were closed earlier this week along with Cottonwood Island Park and the Heritage River Trail from the Cameron Street Bridge to Taylor Drive. Signs are on-site to alert visitors.
All residents of Farrell Street 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.
The city encourages residents to use caution whenever walking near the rivers, particularly during periods of increased water levels.