Ballam Road is closed as the Fraser River rose to six metres at the Mission gauge Sunday.
The new mark elevates the City of Chilliwack’s response. At six metres, the river is “beyond bank full conditons,” meaning the water has risen beyond its banks and is beginning to spill into areas not protected by the city’s diking system.
The Ballam Road barricades went up Saturday in anticipation of the rising river.
However, the closure didn’t stop people from wandering down the road to seen the Fraser at levels not seen since 2012.
Few seemed worried. As the waters lapped the roadside, a man sat fishing from his lawn chair.
Elsewhere the scene is not so calm. Evacuation alerts and orders have been issued to properties all along the Fraser. Evacuation orders were issued to three Chilliwack properties last week, while three more remain on alert.
On Saturday, 18 households were evacuated from the undiked area of Nicomen Island. Residents were sent to an emergency reception centre in Mission.
The FVRD has also closed Island 22 Regional Park.
And the river is not finished rising yet. According to the BC River Forecast Centre, levels could reach 6.6 metres at Mission by Monday – that’s slightly above the level of 6.4 metres reached in 2012.
Watch theprogress.com for more information as it becomes available.
