A Flood Watch has been issued for South Vancouver Island and the Englishman River.
The alert issued by BC’s Ministry of Forests as of 2 pm Friday. It’s been issued with the timeframe of flooding expected to start on Saturday and roll through into early next week.
The affected area being the eastern coast of the island from Parksville down to Victoria.
According to the ministry a “Flood Watch” means that river levels are rising and will approach or may exceed bankfull, meaning flooding may happen in areas adjacent to rivers. A flood watch is the middle level on their flooding forecast system, being less severe than a “Flood Warning” and more severe than a “High Streamflow Advisory.”
The flooding as a result of significant snow accumulation through the past week, as high as 19 or 20 cm worth at higher elevations. Heavy warmer rain is expected to fall on those snow peaks and create significant snowmelt.
They recommend staying away from fast-flowing rivers and potentially unstable riverbanks during the high-streamflow period.
