City of Kamloops workers observe a demonstration of the Tiger Dam in Riverside Park, May, 2018 (Image Credit: Facebook / City of Kamloops)

By James Peters

Flood Forecast

Pandemic measures cast City of Kamloops flood preparations in new light

Apr 15, 2020 | 3:43 PM

KAMLOOPS — Physical distancing measures put in place to battle the spread of COVID-19 will throw a wrench into City of Kamloops flood preparation this year, but officials say they will be ready regardless.

Utility Services Manager Greg Wightman presented an overview of the flood situation at a Kamloops council meeting Wednesday (Apr. 15).

Wightman said modelling information coming in from the B.C. River Forecast Centre has the City preparing for a one-in-20-years flood event this spring.

“Everything that we do — and there’s a ton of work that has been going on since fall and continues to go on, it is an exhaustive effort by just an army of people here — to make sure that this plan that we have and the predictions that we make and all the actions that are the best that we can based on the data that we have,” said Wightman. “But we are battling against Mother Nature and she can be a tough [opponent] and it looks to be that case this year.”

Data from the B.C. River Forecast Centre as of April 1 shows snowpack at 117 per cent for the North Thompson basin and 123 per cent for the South Thompson.

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Officials have been consistent in reminding the public that snowpack is only one factor when it comes to the flood risk.

“1972 was one of the highest flood years that we’ve seen in recent history; it was down and around sixth or seventh on the highest snowpack (list),” said Wightman. “In 1972, we had a long, cold spring with very heavy rain during the peak flows. That’s one of the biggest challenges that we have. It’s not so much warm weather that will have a drastic impact; it’s rain falling on snow that really accelerates the melt and causes problems.”

GRAPH: The graph below shows the level of the Thompson River at the Overlanders Bridge as compared to significant flood years in the past. (Image Credit: City of Kamloops)

While the City can’t predict the weather in the long term, it can predict how physical distancing measures put in place to battle the COVID-19 pandemic will impact flood preparation.

For example, Wightman says filling sandbags won’t be able to happen as it typically does with people in close quarters.

“We’re putting a lot of messaging out as we start to deliver that sand and sandbags, reminding people to maintain that physical distancing,” he noted. “We’re putting out media releases, we’re putting things on our website saying, ‘Bring your own shovel.’ We’re not going to be able to clean shovels between uses, obviously. A lot of simple tasks that we’ve done in the past, this year are going to be a lot more challenging.”

“In the past, we’ve really been supportive of the use of that Tiger Dam,” Wightman continued. “That’s something that we thought was a great option for Riverside Park because it was quick to deploy and easy to take down. It’s just isn’t going to be an option for us this year. It’s too difficult to install with the COVID restrictions. We’ll be using the Hesco (gabion) basket if we do have to take any action in Riverside Park.”

The City of Kamloops is also reminding boat users to use extreme caution as water rise, including limiting speed to avoid causing large wakes.

For more on the City’s flood preparation, visit this site.