Since the end of August, areas on the north coast have been put under several flood watches and streamflow advisories.

British Columbia’s River Forecast Centre works to analyze factors like snow packs, water supply, and flows in rivers and streams to help predict and measure flood risk. 

Jonathan Boyd, a hydrologist for the centre, talked about the main cause for floods during this time of year.

Events like atmospheric rivers happening back to back are often the culprit on the north coast: Boyd said that these rainfall events can even happen in conjunction with light snow packs which melt easily, increasing the overall volume of rivers and streams. 

Though Boyd said that Terrace faces the highest flood risk in the spring time due to snow packs melting, he also said that it’s always good to be prepared. 

If you live in a high flood risk area, making sure that all valuable items are kept on high shelves, having a wall mounted television, and keeping appliances on a raised platform can help lessen the impacts of flooding.

To be ready in the event of a flood, you can keep track of weather alerts on the B.C. River Forecast Centre website, as well as find tips on how to handle the emergency on the B.C. emergency preparedness website.

Listen to the CFNR story below: