Barnston Island on the Fraser River. Photo Shutterstock
Evacuation alerts have been extended to more areas of British Columbia's Fraser Valley as the Fraser River joins other B.C. waterways nearing or at flood stage.
The Metro Vancouver regional government has issued an evacuation alert for tiny Barnston Island, in the Fraser River east of Vancouver, affecting about 150 residents.
The Township of Langley has also issued alerts for low-lying areas along the Fraser River such as Brae and McMillan islands, and an evacuation order was posted Monday by the City of Chilliwack for three homes outside protective dikes.
Officials are keeping a close eye on the level of the Fraser River along its length from Prince George southward and the River Forecast Centre says there is the potential for flooding this weekend in the Prince George and Quesnel areas.
Emergency Management BC says the Boundary region and Similkameen Valley are seeing significant flooding, while risks are also high across the Shuswap and Okanagan, with Okanagan Lake due to reach full capacity by Friday.
More than 1,500 properties in the southern Interior city of Grand Forks remain on evacuation order as a second round of flooding is imminent, compounded with a forecast of rain or thunderstorms beginning Wednesday. (The Canadian Press, CKPG, CKIZ)
