With the Fraser River expected to reach 2012 levels, the District of Hope is issuing evacuation alerts to flood-prone areas and requesting the installation of a specialized damming system.
Forty-four evacuation alerts were issued to residences May 18, as the Hope gauge peaked at 10,800 cubic metres per second (m3/s). The district is also conducting flood preparations and has requested a specialized damming system first used in Hope in 2012, when water levels peaked at 12,000 m3/s.
The forty-four residences who received evacuation alerts are in the following areas only: Wardle Street between 7 Avenue and Allison Avenue, the eastern portion of Tom Berry Road, Bristol Island, the eastern portion of Haig Station Road and the western portion of Landstrom Road.
The evacuation alerts are a preliminary measure that allows residents to take precautionary measures should the flooding get worse, the district’s chief administrative officer John Fortoloczky said.
“They are a preliminary warning to those residences that may be affected, if flooding gets worse,” he said. “That’s all we’re doing, we’re giving the heads up.”
Earlier this week, the district predicted the Fraser River would reach 2012 levels, Fortoloczky confirmed that no evacuations occurred in the Hope area that year.
The district will also be closing portions of Wardle Street and 7 Avenue May 18 to conduct flood preparations.
The gabion basket system the district has requested are metal mesh baskets filled with sand, which are linked together to form a wall against the incoming water. The system was tested in Hope in 2012, when the baskets were installed at the entrance to Rotary Trails on 7 Avenue.
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