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Cache Creek Mayor John Ranta has declared a local state of emergency after a flash flood tore through town, driving dozens from their homes.
“It was just unbelievable how fast it happened,” Ranta told The Province Sunday, a day after an intense burst of afternoon rainfall turned the Thompson Country community’s streets into a raging river. “But the people of Cache Creek are resilient, and we’ll get through this.”
Ranta met with emergency officials Sunday afternoon to decide how best to help out the dozens of displaced residents, as the raging Bonaparte River moved houses and mobile homes off their foundation and swept cars and garages away.
An intense stationary low brought the deluge to Cache Creek, a rock slide near Hell’s Gate that closed Highway 1, a hailstorm to Merritt and put significant portions of the province Sunday under severe thunderstorm watch.
Ranta said he declared a state of emergency Sunday afternoon after meeting with emergency officials, with nearly 100 residents already registered at the local emergency operations centre.
Ranta is grateful his home survived.
“The street in front of my home was a river, and there was a creek behind my house,” he said, acknowledging he was one of the lucky ones. “I’m in a lot better shape than a lot of people,” he said.
At one point Saturday evening, both Highways 1 and 97 had to be closed in both directions in the flood-ravaged community.
Environment Canada meteorologist David Jones said that while lightning could potentially set off fires, the storm is laden with moisture.
“It would be worse if it was a dry thunderstorm, but there’s a lot of moisture associated with these thunderstorms,” said Jones, marvelling at the power such strong storms pack.
“Most people think the world has just ended, or is about to end.”
In the Central Interior, the wet weather has helped firefighters largely contain a wildfire raging mostly out of control over the past two weeks.
Dry conditions after a relatively rain-free spring have created the potential for devastating forest fires.
But with the rainfall, fire teams have managed to bring the Little Bobtail Lake fire southwest of Prince George about 80 per cent under control, although about 80 people remain forced from their homes.
About 220 fire personnel are still on the scene.
The blaze has not grown since it spiked by more than 40 per cent a week ago, spreading from 170 square kilometres to 250 square kilometres.
Environment Canada’s forecast for Prince George calls for thunderstorms Monday afternoon along with sunshine, with Wednesday and Thursday the best bet for rainfall — but only a 30-per-cent chance of showers.
Jones said those planning to venture out might think twice — or at least plan ahead on where to seek shelter if lightning and thunder occur.
“You really need to make a plan,” Jones said as severe thunderstorm warnings and watches were announced for much of B.C. on a turbulent Sunday afternoon. “If you see the sky darken and the wind start to blow very strongly, you need to find shelter.”
Dramatic video footage from Cache Creek showed streets turning into rivers. Debris torrents clogged culverts, and the resulting flooding swamped the local firehall, as well as a number of homes.
The storm also brought hail to the Coquihalla on the weekend, forcing drivers to slow down as icy pellets turned roadways slippery and hazardous.
The potential for profoundly heavy deluges will continue through most of Monday before the storm is expected to move on to Washington state, said Jones.
“There’s lots of water in those clouds, and they dump a lot of rain remarkably quickly.”
While Saturday and Sunday may have been the storm’s most powerful days, Monday’s forecast calls for afternoon and early evening thunderstorms in Prince George, Vanderhoof, and the Bulkley Valley area, including Smithers and Burns Lake.
Courtesy of theprovince.com
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