High Streamflow Advisory – North Coast, Central Coast
Issued: 11:00 AM September 25, 2025
The River Forecast Centre is issuing a High Streamflow Advisory for:
- North Coast including tributaries and smaller streams around Stewart, Gitlax̱t’aamiks (New Aiyansh), Terrace, Prince Rupert, Kitimat, and other coastal communities
- Central Coast including tributaries and smaller streams around Bella Coola, Rivers Inlet, and other coastal communities
***NOTE: The ongoing job action by the B.C. General Employees’ Union (BCGEU) and the Professional Employees Association (PEA) has affected River Forecast Centre (RFC) data systems and work processes. Due to these impacts, RFC staff are unable to access the full range of information that is typically used to generate forecasts and advisories. As a result, current forecasts have a higher degree of uncertainty and should be interpreted with caution.***
Weather Synopsis:
Aftertwo significant storm systems impacted the North and Central coasts last weekend, another
storm is expected to arrive late Thursday bringing moderate to heavy rainfall totals on Friday and
into Saturday. Combined rainfall amounts for Friday-Saturday could reach 50-100 mm total for
the event in some areas. Currently, weather models predict the storm to move southwards
towards Vancouver Island and the South Coast through the weekend.
River Conditions:
Rivers are flowing at normal to above normal levels in the North and Central coasts due to recent
storm events, with several rivers reaching above 2-year and 5-year return period flows on
Monday. Due to persistent rainfall events over the past few weeks, the soil moisture for the North
and Central coasts is saturated. The combination of relatively high river levels and saturated soils
means rivers are more susceptible to rapid rises even with moderate precipitation totals.
It is also important to note that streamflow impacts may be especially severe in smaller streams,
many of which are not gauged. Smaller streams may respond to rainfall much more rapidly and
dramatically than larger rivers, with higher flows relative to their channel size.
Streamflows are expected to begin rising rapidly with the arrival of the heaviest rainfall by Friday
evening, and flows may continue rising for several days. Peak flows in most systems are
anticipated to occur Saturday to Sunday based on watershed size.
Fast-flowing rivers pose increased risk to life safety. The River Forecast Centre continues to
monitor the conditions and will provide updates as conditions warrant.
For information on how to prepare for flood hazards, visit PreparedBC.