Second surge of flooding expected in southern BC as temperatures soar

VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – There may have been a modest respite from floodwaters in several southern BC communities over the weekend, but there are warnings water levels could surge again in the days ahead.

“High streamflow continues to the the number one contributing factor to the flooding across the BC southern interior,” says NEWS 1130 meteorologist Russ Lacate.

“Last week, it was due to those downpours on Wednesday and Thursday but it is now 100 per cent the result of this continued rapid snowmelt resulting from this unseasonably hot spell. Temperatures today and Tuesday are soaring into the low 30s, further accelerating that snowmelt.”

Premier John Horgan has already called this year’s flooding in BC a once-in-a-century event with water levels in places like Grand Forks hitting 1948 record levels, forcing 3,000 people out of their homes in the Kootenay-Boundary region.

The Similkameen River is expected to hit historic levels by Friday with thousands of people already under evacuation order or alert in communities like Cawston, Keremeos and Osoyoos.

“We have placed almost the entire Similkameen Valley, from Princeton all the way down to the border, on alert,” says Cameron Baughen, an information officer at the Okanagan-Similkameen Regional District’s emergency operations centre.

“The issue we have is the potential cut-off of Highway 3 and that people won’t be able to access hospitals or other services so we are advising anyone with any kind of health issues that they might want to get out as soon as they can,” he explains, adding that over 100 properties in the regional district are already under evacuation order.

There has already been some flooding across the highway near Hedley and Baughen cautions there are other areas where the river could inundate the route.

“We have the emergency operations centre open today and we can support people if they want to move out and be supported. There are many people who have to go to Penticton especially for health emergencies or issues that have to be dealt with on a weekly or daily basis,” he says.

“If anyone else needs to get out, this is the time to move because the highway could be shut down fairly quickly. People may become landlocked and we may not have the ability to get them out if they have health needs.”

Flood waters have also been building south of Osoyoos. Braughen says water levels could rise another one or two feet on Osoyoos Lake, which is already spilling its banks.

BC’s public safety minister toured flood-ravaged areas around Grand Forks on Sunday.

“The river itself has cut brand new channels, there are homes that are slumped into the water, there are homes that are now isolated on an island because the river has cut off their access. It is absolutely unbelievable. It is heart-wrenching,” Mike Farnworth tells NEWS 1130.

Farnworth says federal assistance may be required over and above provincial disaster funding. Premier John Horgan say the province will support flood victims for the long-term. Further options for support will be reviewed at a meeting in Victoria today.