Skip to content

Elk River on flood watch after heavy rain

The Elk and Kootenay Rivers are on flood watch after steady rainfall.

By Sally MacDonald

 

The Elk and Kootenay Rivers are on flood watch after steady rainfall.

Some area in the Kootenays have seen up to 10 cm of rain in the last few days, according to Environment Canada. A rainfall warning remained in effect for the East Kootenay at time of print.

The heavy rain led the River Forecast Centre to issue a Flood Watch for rivers in the Kootenay and Columbia regions, naming the Elk River in Fernie and the Kicking Horse River in Golden as the most at risk of flood.

On Wednesday afternoon, the centre recorded 350 cubic metres of water a second in the Elk River at Fernie, which puts it at its average peak over five years. Typically flooding occurs around the 10-year peak, according to David Campbell of the River Forecast Centre.