Peace region under flood warning

The BC River Forecast Centre upgraded a 'flood watch' to a 'flood warning' for B.C.'s Central and Southern Peace Region as of noon on Saturday.

A flood warning means that river levels have exceeded their banks or are expected to "imminently."

"Heavy rain has been observed over the past 36 hours in the Peace Region, with the highest amounts to the southern and eastern portions," theRiver Forecast Centre bulletin said.

Residents of the Peace River Regional District remain under an evacuation alert issued onFriday.

Roads washed out

Heavy rains in central and northern B.C.have also closed two major highways in the Peace River region on Saturday morning.

Highway 16 was closed to traffic in both directions approximately 77 kilometres east of Prince George due to a washout.

Near Dawson Creek, Highway 52 was closed in both directions approximately 26 km south of Arras because of another washout.

Rainfallpeaked on Friday in Chetwynd, which received 65 mm, and inDawson Creek, where 70 mm was recorded.

Shorty Smith, the fire chief in Dawson Creek, said that some of the roads in his town have now been closed due to flooding, and the rain hasn't yet stopped.

"We have blocked off four streets, either due to culverts being undermined or due to water flowing over the roads," he said Saturday morning.

"Certainly the water has risen in the ditches in the community. The creek itself has risen in the past few hours."

Smith said the area is expecting up to 15 millimetres of rain Saturday afternoon and another 10 millimetres tomorrow.

Evacuation alert issued

The situation is worse south of Dawson Creek in the Peace River Regional District, whereresidents were issued an evacuation order alert on Friday, he said.

On Saturday morning, the BC River Forecast Centre issued a high streamflow advisory for Fraser River at Prince George and upstream through the Robson Valley.

Two weeks ago, heavy rain caused millions of dollars in damage when rainstorms washed out parts of Highway 97 between Chetwynd and Mackenzie Junction.