An emergency alert has been issued for those along the banks of the Chilcotin River from Hanceville to the Fraser River, and the Fraser River from the Chilcotin River to Hope.
The province issued the alert due to flooding in the area. The Tsilhqot'in National Government (TNG) activated its Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) Wednesday, July 31 following a landslide near Farwell Canyon west of Williams Lake.
According to the province a sudden release of the water behind the landslide dam may cause a rapid rise in river levels downstream along the Fraser River south to Hope.
An evacuation order was issued earlier in the day for 34 parcels of land in the Chilcotin River landslide area and then expanded around 26 parcels which cover around 3,481 hectares within the Chilcotin River Landslide Area #2, according to a press release by the Cariboo Regional District. Those in the area are ordered to evacuate and to head to any roads heading north to Highway 20 and east to Williams Lake.
Several helicopters have been dispatched through BC Wildfire Service to assist with search and rescue of people in the area.
The River Forecast Centre issued a flood warning for the Chilcotin River upstream of the landslide in the vicinity of Farewell Canyon and a flood watch for the Chilcotin River downstream of the landslide in the vicinity of Farewell Canyon. The River Forecast Centre also issued a flood watch for the Fraser River from the Chilcotin River confluence to Hope and a high streamflow advisory for the Fraser River west of Hope.
The Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship on scene conducting assessments.
Earlier on Wednesday, injured camper in distress was caught up in the slide area and needed assistance.
An individual was reported to have been caught in the slide after floating down the river on a boat with his dog and stopped to camp for the night.
Central Cariboo Search and Rescue (CCSAR) information officer Debra Bortolussi said two of her members were dispatched at around 8 a.m. to the slide area.
The man caught in the slide area stated that he had set up camp for the night and around midnight or so he heard some rumbling so he got up and started running and told his dog to run too.
CCSAR were able to find the patient who was off to BC Emergency Health Services who transported him to Cariboo Memorial Hospital. The dog remains missing.
Residents are encouraged to register for the Cariboo Chilcotin Emergency Notification System to receive a text, call or email regarding Evacuation Alerts and Orders. Anyone looking for further information is asked to call the CRD's emergency information line at 1-866-759-4977 (open 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. daily).
The province issued a statment adding it 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."