B.C. flood round up: state of emergency for some, evacuation orders lifted for others

It's been a busy month of sandbagging and warily watching weather updates for some parts of B.C.as many residents in the province still face a flood risk.

The hot spell forecasted for southern B.C. this weekend could accelerate the melting of snowpacks, raising water levels in rivers and creeks already prone to overrunning their banks. 

Thompson Nicola Regional District has declared a state of local emergency for Nicola Valley-South, where emergency work is now being conducted to protect four homes near a dangerously eroded bank of the Nicola river.

But there is also a reprieve for some — the district has lifted an evacuation order for half a dozen homes in Cherry Creek, meaning some people are returning home for the first time since May 5th.

Five households in that area remain under evacuation order.

Water quality

The regional district for the North Okanagan has lifted a water quality advisory originally issued on May 11th.

According to testing conducted by Grindrod Water Utility in conjunction with Interior Health, all bacterial testing results and chlorine levels in the distribution system have returned to normal levels. 

In Merritt, local officials continue to monitor water levels, that remain unusually high because of heavy rainfall and the rapid melting of snowpacks.

Several city streets are still flooded, and are expected to remain so for the coming week. The City of Merritt has closed Lions Park and Rotary Park to the public, but says there is no current risk to infrastructure or power. 

According to the B.C. River Forecast Centre, the threat of floods could be around for some time, because of the state of B.C.'s above-average snowpacks.