2011 Flood

It's unfortunate to be writing about another flood for the beleaguered Bella Coola Valley, but for the third year in a row we are having a fall flood.  So far this one is  bigger than 2009, but much smaller than the Great Flood of 2010.  The heaviest rains started coming at 3 or 4 AM this morning and have more or less continued all day long with occassional slowing.  By nightfall the Bella Coola River is out of it's normal banks in a number of locations, Firvale, middle Hagensborg, the lower valley, and Canoe Crossing.  The tributary creeks are high but I haven't heard reports of them breaking their banks.  One factor helping us is that the temperature up at elevations has been cooling. Starting around 2 PM when a glimpse of Mount Nusatsum was available there was fresh snow at 5000 feet and since then it has continued and the level come down a bit.  Snow in the mountains is a blessing right now, because it will quickly drop the level in the tributaries, but it could be a ticking time bomb if a lot accumulates and then we get a second wave of rain in the next few days.  Right now though we will take it as it is mitigating effect.

Recently the weather people announced that this winter in the Pacific we were going into a rare back to back 'La Nina' weather event which translates into a wet winter or more rain/snow.  It's unfortunate that the remnants of Asian Typhoons seem pointed right at the Central Coast again as they make landfall.  If you do Facebook, somewhere out there are pictures being posted.

Good luck to everyone in Bella Coola tonight.  Grizzly