DUNCAN - People living in the Cowichan Valley are hoping for the best and are ready for the worst. Heavy rain and melting snow has prompted the River Forecast Centre to issue a flood warning for the valley. This after the same area experienced severe flooding last Friday when the Cowichan and Koksilah Rivers breached their banks.

"The Cowichan River is going to rise and it's going to rise to the same level as Friday," The District of North Cowichan's Joe Barry said Wednesday. But the difference, Barry says, is the tides. Last week the rivers peaked at high tide while this time around the district expects the peak to arrive during low tide.

A temporary concrete barrier has been put up to serve as a dyke along a stretch of road that flooded last week. It will remain in place throughout the winter. Elsewhere, city crews have been working alongside residents building sandbag walls to protect homes against the rising water.