City of Dawson Creek warns residents to prepare for floods even as wildfires loom

3 week_ago 10

British Columbia

'Hydroclimate whiplash' becoming much communal arsenic prolonged drought fuels fires, flooding.

'Hydroclimate whiplash' becoming much communal arsenic prolonged drought fuels fires and flooding, experts say

Andrew Kurjata · CBC News

· Posted: Jun 11, 2025 8:29 PM EDT | Last Updated: 8 hours ago

The City of Dawson Creek is informing residents of imaginable flooding successful the coming days, a hazard made worse by ongoing drought and wildfires successful the region.

Environment Canada is forecasting showers starting Wednesday nighttime and lasting done Saturday, while the B.C. River Forecast Centre issued a precocious streamflow advisory for overmuch of the Interior, with up to 120 millimetres of rainfall expected successful the Peace portion successful the days ahead.

The rainfall comes arsenic the portion is entering its 3rd twelvemonth of utmost drought conditions. The South Peace is at drought Level 4 on a standard that ranges from zero to five and aggregate wildfires are burning successful the region, forcing immoderate residents from their homes.

Drought and wildfires can exacerbate one different and leave the state progressively susceptible to terrible flooding, according to experts.

A car astatine an space connected the broadside of a washed-out roadworthy arsenic flood h2o pushes it toward the edge.

Drought kills vegetation and leaves ungraded exposed and hardened, with nary basal systems to assistance the soil absorb h2o erstwhile rainfall does fall, explained Younes Alila, a forestry prof astatine the University of British Columbia successful a 2023 interview.

The drier crushed tin fuel wildfires, which adust things retired adjacent further, creating conditions for adjacent much fires and floods.

The phenomenon, dubbed "hydroclimate whiplash," has go much predominant and intense, according to caller research, with Canada peculiarly susceptible.

"What we spot astatine the infinitesimal is conscionable the beginning," said Andreas Prein of the Institute for Atmospheric and Climate Science.

WATCH | Drought, flood, repeat: knowing hydroclimate whiplash:

Here's wherefore it feels similar we’re stuck successful an endless loop of droughts and floods

CBC meteorologist Johanna Wagstaffe explains wherefore accelerated swings betwixt precise adust and precise bedewed seasons are becoming much utmost and much predominant arsenic our ambiance warms.

Dawson Creek has been moving to fortify its flood infrastructure since 2016 erstwhile rising h2o levels destroyed roads and forced 60 residents from their homes.

In a release, the metropolis says crews are preparing for imaginable flash flooding and encouraged residents to bash the aforesaid by preparing emergency kits, moving important documents to harmless areas, and clearing gutters.

Sandbags are besides disposable astatine the metropolis gait connected 99 Avenue.

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