Reminder to public to be prepared
The Chilcotin River landslide situation continues to evolve.
Overnight between July 30-31, a landslide over the Chilcotin River near Farwell Canyon in the Cariboo Regional District pushed debris across the river channel, damming the Chilcotin River and creating a lake extending several kilometres upstream.
Water flow breached the blockage on August 5, flowing into the Fraser River. While the river, near Lillooet and Electoral Area B of the SLRD, is experiencing increased flow, debris and water levels, the situation remains stable and there have been no reports of damage to private or public property.
The Cariboo Regional District issued multiple evacuation orders and alerts in relation to this event, and the Province of British Columbia issued several emergency alerts, advising people to avoid the Chilcotin and Fraser rivers and river banks. As a result of the landslide, the BC River Forecast Centre issued flood warnings and advisories for portions of the Chilcotin and Fraser rivers.
The Chilcotin River landslide continues to pose a threat to human life, and people are advised to stay off of and away from the Chilcotin and Fraser Rivers, including along the river banks. The River Forecast Centre is adjusting the advisory levels related to the Chilcotin River landslide for August 7 as follows.
The River Forecast Centre is maintaining a Flood Warning for:
• Chilcotin River upstream of the landslide
The River Forecast Centre is downgrading to a Flood Watch for:
• Chilcotin River downstream of the landslide to the Fraser River confluence
The River Forecast Centre is ending a Flood Warning for:
• Fraser River from Chilcotin River confluence to Big Bar
The River Forecast Centre is ending a Flood Watch for:
• Fraser River from Big Bar downstream to Hope
The River Forecast Centre is ending a High Streamflow Advisory for:
• Fraser River downstream of Hope
Provincial personnel and external experts continue to monitor and assess the landslide as part of a multi-agency coordinated response. Information about the landslide is available on the Chilcotin River Landslide Information Portal. Provincial updates on the area available on the Resources page.
Although the worst-case scenario threat of a sudden and potentially catastrophic breach of the dam has now passed, the Chilcotin landslide and dam breach is still a rapidly changing situation. The SLRD also continues to monitor the situation, and at the time of issuing this update, our Emergency Operations Centre remains active on this response.
The SLRD has not issued Evacuation Alerts or Orders in response to this event. Please check EmergencyInfoBC for information on current evacuation alerts and orders.
This event is a reminder of the importance of emergency preparation for your household and neighbours. PreparedBC, British Columbia’s emergency preparedness education program, has resources and tools for public emergency preparation, so if you have to act, you have a plan. Preparing now will not only benefit you in this emergency, but in future emergencies as well.
Emergency preparedness reminders:
- Know the hazards – knowing what hazards you need to plan for is the first step to being prepared.
- Make an emergency plan for yourself, all members of your household and your pets.
- Prepare your emergency supplies and build your kits:
- Emergency Kit
- Grab-and-go bag - Ensure you have supplies, including food, water and necessary medicines, for at least 72 hours.
- Research insurance options and ensure your plan is up-to-date.
- Evacuation routes: understand how you will leave the area.
- Evacuation and recovery resources- Learn what happens in evacuations, what financial assistance you might be eligible for and other recovery resources.
Stay Informed: In an emergency, misinformation is dangerous. Get your information from official sources, and make sure you have access:
- Emergency notifications – sign up for your community’s emergency alert notification system and download the free Alertable app to receive emergency alerts from the Province of B.C.
- Provincial emergency information: Follow Emergency Info BC
- Road conditions: Follow DriveBC
- Wildfire updates: Follow BC Wildfire Service and download the BC Wildfire Service app
- Flood-related advisories: Visit the BC River Forecast Centre