Heavy rains cause flooding
Constable Dave Kokesch surveys the situation on Martindale Road in Parksville as rain adds to local rivers, which flooded their banks Monday. Auren Ruvinsky Photo
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Updated: November 16, 2009 4:01 PM
Oceanside was hit by the heavy rain and flooding that is currently affecting much of southwest B.C.
North of Qualicum Beach the Cedar Grove campground’s latest tenant is the Little Qualicum River.
Manager Gary Newell said they have never seen flooding this bad in the four year’s they’ve been there and last night as the river kept rising they decided to move the campers out of the lowest part of the property.
“I was just getting concerned,” Newell said, “but we’ve never moved people out before.”
Newell, his co-manager wife and the rest of the staff and tenants spent much of the night moving about 16-18 campers out.
“It was a real pain in the pitch dark,” he said, pointing out they have a number of longer term tenants who had put considerable effort into their campsites such as building decks and arranging outdoor living spaces.
As of midday Monday, the back portion of the campground was completely under water and the river was right on the edge of spilling over a small dyke and washing through the middle of the property.
At 1 p.m. Monday there were small streams coming over the bank and the rain was still coming down, but Newell was optimistic that since the tide was on the way out they might avoid the worst.
“When the rain stops it should all go back down in about three days,” he said.
The forecast calls for rain for the foreseeable future.
The Ministry of Transportation’s website says there is flooding along Highway 19A between Parksville and Campbell River but they could not be reached for further details.
Check www.drivebc.ca for the latest highway closures.
