Lumby flood evacuees frustrated by lack of communication

More than two weeks after an evacuation order was issued for 24 properties, dozens of Lumby residents are still out of their homes.

Many evacuees are growing frustrated with the lack of information.

“I want to know why they are not giving us the information we need to know,” evacuee David Cox said.

“We need to know when we can get back in and when they are going to let us know these things. Nobody says anything.”

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Residents will not be allowed to return home until officials have confirmed it is safe for them to reoccupy their homes.

There is no word yet on when that might be.

A rapid damage assessment team came to Lumby last week and looked at the outside of homes.

Some of the evacuated properties now have notices on the door.

The red poster on Julie Wilding’s front door reads: “Unsafe. Do not enter or occupy.”

Another home had a “Restricted Use” sign on the door.

“The other night I said, ‘I’m homesick. It is getting difficult,’ and with that red letter on my door, I don’t know what is going to happen. Nobody is telling me,” Wilding said.

The province said the red sign means repair work is needed before the home is safe to re-enter.

Wilding’s basement has water in it but it is unclear how many of the homes have actually been damaged by flooding.

Helen Sinclair, the deputy director of Lumby’s Emergency Operations Centre, said local officials don’t yet have all the information about those assessments.

“We are trying to get the communication out there,” she said. “Answers aren’t always forthcoming as fast as we want them.”

“We are working as fast and as hard as we can. The answers aren’t all dependent upon the Village of Lumby. We have to reach out to other government agencies.”

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An information session is being planned this week to update those who have been effected. Sinclair said local officials hope to have more information at that meeting about when residents will be able to return home.

She said the evacuation order is being constantly reassessed.

In the meantime, more than 40 evacuees are waiting to go home.