Evacuation alerts issued for 30 properties in Fraser Valley as flood, landslide risks increase

About 30 properties in the Fraser Valley are under evacuation alert as the atmospheric river pummeling B.C. increases flood and landslide risks in several parts of the province.

The two alerts, which affect the Sheldon Road and Wilson Road areas, mean residents must be ready to leave at short notice.

Fraser Valley Regional District (FVRD) said the alerts, announced Thursday afternoon, are due to "the potential danger to life and safety due to an atmospheric river event with high river flows in the Chilliwack River Valley."

The areas under alert are located just southeast of Chilliwack, about four kilometres apart from each other along the Chilliwack River.

The district declared a state of local emergency Thursday morning, saying the atmospheric river "poses an existing or imminent threat to people and property within the area known as FVRD Electoral Areas E."

The Fraser Valley is under a rainfall warning issued by Environment Canada, which noted prolonged heavy rain on snow could lead to the potential for flooding.

The atmospheric river has already flooded and forced the evacuation of parts of the small community of Ocean Falls and Martin Valley on the Central Coast, and also caused a mudslide in Coquitlam, a Vancouver suburb.

B.C.'s River Forecast Centre has issued a flood watch for the South Coast, meaning river levels are rising and flooding could occur in areas adjacent to affected waterways.

The forecast centre said Thursday afternoon that rapid rises across many rivers were expected.

"River levels are already elevated and soil is saturated as the next round of the storm begins, which will likely mean a faster and more dramatic flow response."

The forecast centre said the storm's "extremely long duration" paired with heavy precipitation and potentially significant rain-on-snow contribution has increased the flood hazard.

The rain is expected to continue on the South Coast Friday, according to Environment Canada, while other parts of the province could see snow and heavy winds.

In the northern parts of Metro Vancouver, up to 130 millimetres of rain is expected by late Friday afternoon.

Up to 120 mm of rain is expected in the Fraser Valley, close to 50 mm is expected for the Fraser Canyon south of Boston Bar, and up to 80 mm is forecast for the Coquihalla Highway between Hope and Merritt.