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Rain Continues

Flood concerns rise as Environment Canada warns of extended rain through B.C. Interior

Jul 1, 2020 | 8:33 PM

KAMLOOPS – Heavy rain should be expected across a wide area of the BC Interior through Thursday evening. Environment Canada issued a Special Weather Statement Wednesday (July 1) evening, warning of the precipitation.

The statement says rain will result from a moist easterly flow associated with a deep low sitting over Alberta. The low will push precipitation across the Rocky Mountains into B.C. Wednesday night and through Thursday.

Computer models suggest the Thompson, Columbia, Cariboo-Chilcotin, and the Central Interior regions could see between 25 and 40 mm of rain by Thursday night. Higher rainfall amounts between 50 and 70 mm, are expected over mountain areas in the Cariboo, Williston, and McGregor regions. In addition, thunderstorms could drop between 15 and 25 mm over small areas in a short period of time.

Thursday’s rain is expected to fall in showers as opposed to the steady rains of Wednesday. However, there is concern around the impact of rising rivers across the B.C. Interior. Even before the steady day of rain over the Canada Day holiday, there were concerns for the North Thompson through the Blue River / Clearwater region, the South Thompson through the Shuswap, and the Quesnel river through the Cariboo Mountains.

A flood watch is in effect along the North Thompson river from Blue River to Kamloops. A High Streamflow Advisory, which warns of rising waters, is in place along the South Thompson river from the Shuswap to Kamloops. A Flood Warning is in place from the headwaters of the Fraser river to Prince George. And a Flood Warning is in place for the region around Quesnel lake in the Cariboo.

The public is being warned to avoid approaching fast-flowing streams and rivers because of the potential of unstable riverbanks collapsing into the water.

Environment Canada says it may issue rainfall warnings Thursday as the weather system develops and locations of significant storms are identified.