‘Immediate danger’: Major landslide blocks entire Chilcotin River, prompts hasty evacuations

(UPDATE: Aug. 1 at 5:05 am): British Columbia's Ministry of Land and Water says personnel are conducting assessments near a landslide that blocked the Chilcotin River in the province's Interior, including to understand risks that might exist downstream.

A government statement says the landslide Wednesday blocked the river that feeds into the Fraser River, and a sudden release of water "may cause rapid rises in river levels downstream along the Fraser River" south to Hope, B.C.

The River Forecast Centre has issued a flood warning for the Chilcotin River upstream of the landslide and a flood watch downstream.

First satellite imagery @planet of Chilcotin Landslide from Tuesday night. The impounded lake is ~2km long, and the landslide debris itself blocking about 700m of river. The Fraser River gauge at Big Bar, some 90km downstream, has leveled out after dropping to ~1470 m3/s. pic.twitter.com/LCGUX4iJNZ

— Dan Shugar (@WaterSHEDLab) August 1, 2024

A flood watch is also in place for the Fraser River from the Chilcotin River confluence to Hope as well as a high streamflow advisory for the Fraser River west of Hope.

Evacuation orders issued Wednesday remain in place, covering 107 kilometres along both sides of the Chilcotin River, after the Cariboo Regional District said there was an immediate danger to life and safety due to flooding.

A view from the window of Kisik's plane late this afternoon, acquiring LiDAR of the landslide that blocked the Chilcotin. We will be visiting site tomorrow and resurveying it several times over the next few days. About 0.5 km2 in area. pic.twitter.com/Lrb3bnXDkJ

— Brian (@brianmenounos) August 1, 2024

Very serious situation developing with repect to the landslide into the Chilcotin River. I will share information as I receive it!
The landslide is massive 30 meters deep and 600 meters long.
Technical experts on scene and en route. Hope for more information by morning.… pic.twitter.com/sq9fKXJkED

— Lorne Doerkson (@LDoerkson) August 1, 2024

The regional district says 60 properties are covered in the orders including 12 homes with an estimated 13 residents.

The Ministry of Emergency Management says in the statement that it is working with communities to co-ordinate operations and that air support from the BC Wildfire Service is being used to assist with assessments and search and rescue.

A flyover of the Chilcotin River earlier today. The slide is significant as too is the water being held back. More updates to follow when we better assess the situation. Please follow all of the alerts and emergency orders being issued here: https://t.co/3qaJVVDu2y #bcpoli pic.twitter.com/iyRIElj5gS

— Nathan Cullen (@nathancullen) August 1, 2024

"The province is prepared to take additional actions to keep people and communities safe in the event of flooding, such as deploying sandbags, sandbag machines, gabions and tiger dams to communities if needed," the statement says.

– With files from Canadian Press

(Original story: July 31 at 2:20 pm): Evacuations are underway for 60 properties along the Chilcotin River after a massive landslide blocked the waterway today.

The slide happened in the Farewell Canyon area, around 90 kilometres southwest of Williams Lake and 30 kilometres northwest of where the Chilcotin River meets the Fraser River.

The gravity of the situation is on clear display in photos shared by Central Cariboo Search and Rescue (CCSAR) that were taken from a helicopter.

CCSAR members flew into the area to extract a man who was injured as a result of the slide, but he is now reportedly in stable condition and in the hands of BC Emergency Health Services.

A pair of evacuation orders from the Cariboo Regional District says people in the affected areas must “leave the area immediately.”

People are urged to take available routes north to Hwy 20, then head east to Williams Lake.

The two evacuation orders affect 60 properties along the Chilcotin River and cover more than 10,000 hectares.

“Due to immediate danger to life safety due to flooding caused by landslide, members of the RCMP or other groups will be expediting this action,” the order says.

The CRD has also declared a state of local emergency.

The nearby Tsilhqot'in National Government has activated its emergency operations centre to help those who need it.

NowMedia will update this story as it develops.

#EvacuationORDER issued for Chilcotin River Landslide area. Farwell Canyon included in order area.

Interactive map: https://t.co/cgmxp9ixjB
Visit https://t.co/PHkLq7y83g for further information#CaribooFloods #BCFloods @EmergencyInfoBC pic.twitter.com/DMvvf5TD9V

— CRD (@CaribooRD) July 31, 2024

Evacuation order issued for the Chilcotin River Landslide area #2.
Interactive map: https://t.co/cgmxp9ixjB
Visit https://t.co/PHkLq7y83g for further information#CaribooFloods #BCFloods @EmergencyInfoBC #LandslideUpdate pic.twitter.com/4WZxMVfWOG

— CRD (@CaribooRD) July 31, 2024