Kayakers in many parts of British Columbia have taken a “time-out” from the river the past few days while an atmospheric river wreaks havoc on the province.
Between 100-200mm of rain has fallen in the Lower Mainland and Southern Vancouver Island alone, creating treacherous conditions on the river and beyond.
Many paddlers have taken to social media to share footage of their local rivers in their now-unrecognizable states.
View this post on Instagram
At regular flows, Mamquam Falls in Squamish, British Columbia is a 60-70 foot waterfall that is paddled by expert whitewater kayakers. The image below provides an indication of the waterfall’s appearance in its favorable state.
View this post on Instagram
[ Also watch: A Paddler’s Nightmare: Flash Flood In Under 60 Seconds ]
Between November 14-15, 2021–in under 24 hours–the river went from holding 30 CMS of water to 262 CMS; the flow-data entered an unfathomable realm for whitewater paddlers.
At its peak flow, the chocolate-milk-colored waterfall looked to be approximately 20 feet in height.
View this post on Instagram
“Rivers are officially flooding. Time to curl up next to the fire with a good book I think,” wrote kayaker Heather Buckingham in a recent Instagram post. The post highlighted some of the flooded rivers in southern Vancouver Island.
View this post on Instagram
Unfortunately, it’s not just the rivers that are carrying the weight of this unprecedented storm. Many highways in British Columbia have been temporarily closed due to damage from high water, mudslides and rock slides.
The city of Merritt, B.C. has evacuated its 7,000+ residents, while many other towns and cities across the province remain on high alert.
Our thoughts go out to the many who have been adversely affected by these floods. The Government of British Columbia is currently advising travelers to stay off the highway and avoid non-essential travel. Stay informed and visit Drive BC for the latest highway status updates.
Footage and photos courtesy of David Reid (@hauke.reid), Erin Woodley (@erinwoodley), David Gregr, Heather Buckingham (@heather_buckingham) and Edward Muggridge (@shredwardd).
