Flood waters in northwestern B.C. that shut down key roads could leave many people cut off from the rest of the province for up to five more days, officials say.

'We are cut off, we're totally isolated.'—Terrace Deputy Mayor Marilyn Davies

While flood threats have eased in the Fraser Valley east of Vancouver, main rail lines and major highways through the north have been washed out, cutting off Terrace, Prince Rupert, Kitimat and a number of smaller communities such as Telegraph Creek and two Nisga'a communities.

Until the river levels drop — expected Sunday at the earliest — the main roads will not be passable, regional highways manager Don Ramsey said, leaving the rest of the province inaccessible, at least by land.

Flooding has closed the highway on the west of Terrace, while Highway 16 to the east side of the city is blocked off by a huge pool of water and what's left of last week's mudslide.

Officials say the water on Highway 16 is 1.4 metres deep and 1.2 kilometres long, deeper and longer than it was on Wednesday.

Some relief for Terrace

There's a new plan to get motorists in and out of Terrace, by routing traffic from the east around the flooded highway and over a rough back road.

Road graders and pilot cars — leading convoys of cars — are being used Thursday to facilitate travel on the Cranberry Connector, a rough, four-hour detour on back roads from Kitwanga to Terrace.
 
The connector is still not officially recommended for travel, but a highways manager says pilot cars will help open the road to one-way traffic during set windows.

He also cautions that people taking the route would be doing so at their own risk.

Mayor worries about hoarding supplies

Terrace Deputy Mayor Marilyn Davies warned earlier Thursday that supplies of food and gas may soon run short, which is already the case in Prince Rupert.

"We are cut off, we're totally isolated," Davies said at a news conference. "We're actually the only part of the province that can't be reached by an alternate route."

In the meantime, Prince Rupert Mayor Herb Pond is worried about citizens hoarding gasoline and milk.

"People are understandably but incorrectly assuming that's the last milk they're going to see for a while," he said. "People need to just calm down and recognize there will be trucks coming to resupply these."

Provincial officials say a barge-load of supplies is already en route to Prince Rupert, and forestry planes and helicopters are on standby to supply food, fuel and medicine to the flood zone.

More than 200 people evacuated their homes in and around Smithers, Prince George, Terrace and the Mount Currie reserve north of Whistler, with Terrace being the hardest hit. Evacuation alerts have also been issued for 800 homes around the province.

There was less rain than expected Tuesday and Wednesday, and forecasters say the flooding will peak on Saturday until Monday. But emergency officials warn a sudden heavy downpour could quickly change things.

The Bulkley, Fraser and Nechako rivers all overflowed their banks Tuesday. The flooding is due in part to the rapid melting of the winter's record snowfall, combined with soaring temperatures last weekend and heavy rains that followed.