Flood warnings lifted, evacuation order rescinded in Comox Valley as rain eases
Several flood warnings and flood watches have ended on Vancouver Island as rainfall has eased and an evacuation order due to flooding in the Comox Valley has been rescinded.
On Friday, intense rains led to flooding in multiple areas of the region, keeping search and rescue crews busy and leading the Comox Valley Regional District to issue a state of local emergency.
The B.C. River Forecast Centre downgraded its flood warning on Saturday morning for the Somass River to a high streamflow advisory, while ending warnings and advisories for the Courtenay, Tsolum River, Dove Creek and Englishman rivers.
On Saturday afternoon, the Comox Valley Regional Emergency Operations Centre announced that its evacuation order for more than a dozen properties, including a campsite and RV park, had ended. Its evacuation alert for seven other properties was also lifted.
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A person is seen at the flooded Maple Pool Campground near Courtenay, B.C., on Jan. 30, 2026. (Maryse Zeidler/CBC)
James Warren, director of the Emergency Operations Centre, said in a Saturday morning media briefing that river levels had peaked and were receding in most areas.
About 150 people have been affected by flooding in the region, he added.
“Assessments are ongoing to confirm impacts to parks, buildings, roads, and other infrastructure,” Warren said.
Sheep among the rescued
Comox Valley Search and Rescue was kept busy on Friday, responding to the impacts of intense rainfall.
"We saw volumes of water in the local rivers which we have not seen for a considerable amount of time” said search manager Paul Berry.
About 30 search and rescue members were deployed, he said, and they rescued 11 people, five dogs, one cat, and four sheep from flooded areas.
Comox Valley Search and Rescue says volunteers helped 11 people, five dogs, a cat, and four sheep get safely out of flooded areas. (Comox Valley Search and Rescue)
“Certainly people’s animals are their family, there’s a huge emotional attachment,” Berry said, adding that it was first time the SAR team worked with sheep.
"They were a little bit sheepish about being dragged through the water and rescued," the search manager added.
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But we were able to get them safely to another property where they were housed with another group of sheep and warm and dry for the evening.”
The Emergency Operations Centre also said a number of parks and trails in Courtenay are closed today after flooding, including Lewis Park, Simms Park Inner Loop, Puntledge Park and McPhee Meadows.
Officials are reminding people to obey all road and trail closures and stay away from waterways and low-lying areas.
This article was originally written and published by CBC News on Jan. 31, 2026, with files from Shaurya Kshatri, Michelle Gomez and The Canadian Press